


A New City

by darkroses



Series: The Alpha's Home [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Sam, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Body Dysphoria, Dom Castiel, Dom/sub, Medical Inaccuracies, Mpreg, Omega Ben, Omega Dean, Sub Sam, Sub Sam Winchester, Switch Castiel, Switch Dean, True Mates, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-03-16 14:28:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 78,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13638144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkroses/pseuds/darkroses
Summary: Castiel moves his family to a free state and things are just about as smooth as one would expect. To make matters worse, gold diggers keep claiming to be either his or Sam's true mate. Dean wants to try for another baby. Gabriel keeps telling his son all about sex. An alpha is stalking Ben. Oh, and Sam wants to get rid of his knot.Castiel wants his family to be happy, but it is hard and life just got a little more complicated.





	1. Chapter 1

The move to California was stressful for everyone. Dean was more of a pain in the ass about it than Sam anticipated, but it made sense the more Sam thought about it. Dean’s life was at home. Castiel and himself had a life outside of the home. Dean didn’t. Dean worked from home. Granted, Dean loved the work he did to restore cars, but he was still at home. Clients rarely stopped by without either himself or Castiel being present. It wasn’t that anyone believed Dean to be incapable of handling clients. It was quite the opposite actually, alphas were dick bags and it was better for Dean’s safety to have another alpha there.

Sam knew he would be absolutely worthless should an alpha try something, but Sam figured it was the thought that counted. Besides, Sam knew Dean could beat anyone who messed with him to a pulp. Sam heard the story of Dean beating up their dad. As strange as it sounds to Sam after his dad left and Castiel and Dean cuddled him on the bed, Sam had never felt safer. He was still upset with what happened but he felt safe and loved. It filled him with a warmth that he remembers fondly. He misses that warmth sometimes, but he always knows where to find it.

Sam felt that warmth when they finally decided on a home for them. Dean had rejected over fifty homes. Luckily, most of those rejections were before they even saw the home. Dean wanted space for his shop out back, but more importantly, Dean wanted the master bedroom suite to have an adjacent bedroom still in the suite. It was hard to find, but there were a few pack homes that had the feature. The reason Dean wanted that was so Castiel could have his bedroom, the bigger of the two rooms and he and Dean would still have their beds in the other bedroom.

Sometimes, Sam questioned the need for him and Dean to continue to share a bedroom and have separate beds, but in reality, it made sense. Life was far from a fairy tale. His bedroom, even though he shared it with Dean, was his sanctuary. He had his own little piece of the world that no one else could have and a place where could just lay down and read a book. More than that, Sam liked having one on one time with Castiel and Dean. He liked sharing a bed with Castiel sometimes without Dean and vise versa. Sometimes, it was nice to be on his own for an evening while Castiel and Dean shared time together. He also liked the times when all three of them would pile into Castiel’s bed. It felt nice.

Sam wasn’t sure how Ben felt about the move. Ben had his own room a little further away from the master bedroom. Castiel’s office and Sam’s office were on either side of Ben’s bedroom, but Sam knew that wasn’t what Ben had an issue with. It was school. Ben was terrified to go to a blended school. They had toured some and it didn’t end well. A blonde-haired alpha flirted with Ben at one school and Sam had never seen Ben tuck himself next to Castiel so fast in his life. Castiel allowed Ben to hold on to his shirt and rest his head on his chest and the alpha even wrapped an arm around Ben to help him feel safer.

The blonde-haired alpha was a girl named Claire. Ever since that day, Sam had seen her at different places. It was almost like she was watching Ben, which Sam supposed would be a little unnerving. Sam decided to set up security at the home to protect Ben.

The security company was installing camera while Dean and Castiel argued in the kitchen about which drawer should be the junk drawer. Sam shook his head and sighed. He couldn’t wait for them to get settled. The sound of the doorbell ringing startled Sam out of his thoughts. He quickly got up and answered the door.

A woman stood on the other side of the door. She was beautiful and an omega. She frowned at him slightly and said absently, “You’re not him, but I can smell him here. My daughter, it doesn’t matter. Does another alpha live here?”

Sam was confused. He didn’t really know what to say. He glanced around nervously, then said, “Wait here.”

Sam walked into the kitchen to Castiel. He knew Castiel must have picked up on his discomfort because his alpha wrapped his arms around him and gave him a gentle hug. Castiel sounded genuinely concerned, “What is wrong, Little Alpha?”

Sam rested his head on Castiel’s shoulder and whispered, “A weird omega is at the door. She said something about her daughter and your scent.  Can you make her leave? She makes me uncomfortable.”

Castiel kissed Sam on the forehead and responded with a simple, “Of course, I will be back in a moment.” Castiel turned to Dean before leaving the kitchen, “And we are not making the junk drawer the biggest in the entire kitchen.”

Dean pouted, “Sourpuss,” but he picked a smaller drawer and started to pile items inside.

__

Castiel stood up a little straighter as he opened the door to his home. He was greeted by a very nervous looking omega. She smelled nice. She had sort of a peaceful scent, but Castiel didn’t really care. She made one his mates uncomfortable so she had to leave. Before he could tell her to leave, she reached out a hand and touched him on the chest. She spoke almost reverently, “It’s you. You’re real. You’re my true mate.”

Castiel stared at her a little dumbfounded. First, Ben told Sam about Jessica being his true mate which in Castiel’s opinion was complete and utter bullshit. Now, this omega whom Castiel didn’t know was on his doorstep claiming to be his true mate. Castiel didn’t know if it was some conspiracy again his family or perhaps the world but he hated it. Firmly, Castiel removed the woman’s hand from him and took a step back. He spoke firmly and slowly, “You are mistaken. True mates are not real. It is Hollywood fiction. Besides, I am already mated. I have an omega and alpha mate. I have no desire to entertain the company of another omega. I would like to kindly ask you to leave. You’re not welcome here.”

The woman squared her shoulders and said firmly, “You can’t mean that. I am your true mate. I have more of a bond with you than either of the people you call mates.”

Castiel was pretty sure he saw red. His breathing picked up as he gripped the door frame. He knew the scent of an alpha rage was filling the room, because how dare she insult Sam and Dean in such a way. They were his everything. He loved them, perhaps more than life itself. He growled at the woman, “Leave,” as Dean pulled him into a hug and shoved the door closed.

Castiel felt Dean maneuver his head so that it rested at the crook of Dean’s neck. He inhaled deeply and the scent of his omega calmed. He felt the rage leaving his system as the scent of the intruder was replaced with the scent of his mate. Castiel held on tightly to Dean and whispered, “I’m sorry. She was just a gold digger. She wanted me to leave you and Sam. I could never do such a thing. I love you too much.”

Dean just hummed, “I know, Alpha. We love you too. What do you say we cuddle on the couch? You, me, and Sam?” Castiel nodded his head in agreement. He found himself nestled on the sofa with Sam and Dean on either side of him. He helped him to feel better. He felt even better when Ben joined them in the living room and laid down on the floor in front of him with a book. Castiel felt himself calming. His mates were here. His child was here. They were all safe and happy.

Everything would be okay.

++

Life settled fairly quickly for each of them. Castiel worked remotely from home most days and only had to fly into work about once per month. It left him with a lot more time with his mates and he loved it. He enjoyed watching Dean work in the garage. He enjoyed their secret times together when Sam was out of town on business. This was one of those times. Sam would be out of town for three days. He missed Sam greatly, but he also enjoyed his time with Dean.

This was how Castiel found himself at a local bakery buying a pie for his omega. He had a plug up his ass that was a little uncomfortable and Dean took the liberties of putting a cock cage on him. They bought a special cock cage just for him and Castiel still chuckled at the memory when Sam found out. His little alpha was endlessly confused as to why he would want such thing. Sam hadn’t felt comfortable enough to join them for these activities, which was okay. Sam had the right to draw the line where he saw fit.

Castiel was pulled from his thoughts when he finally reached the counter at the bakery. He didn’t even look at the woman working behind the counter. His voice was friendly, “I ordered a pie for pick up. My name is Castiel Novak.”

The woman hummed and said calmly, “At least, I know my true mate’s name now. That will be $13.50.”

Castiel glanced at the woman and repressed the urge to sigh. This was Dean absolute favorite bakery in town and it figured that his stalker would work here. He opened his wallet and pulled out the money needed to pay in cash. The last thing he needed was for this nut job to have his credit card information. She took the money without another word then turned around and found a white bag on the counter. Castiel could see it had a pie box inside. He didn’t bother smiling at her as she handed him the pie. He glanced in the bag and saw a perfectly baked cherry pie.

Castiel smiled slightly at the thought of his omega. Dean thought the cherry pie was seductive and he wanted a whole pie for tonight. Castiel glanced at the woman, “Thank you. The pie looks amazing. My omega loves pie.”

The woman sighed and asked begrudgingly, “How long have you and _your omega_ been together?”

Castiel smiled again and decided to end this woman’s fantasy of him. Dean would laugh about it later, but Sam probably wouldn’t be impressed. “Over twenty-five years, he was one of my two favorite purchases.”

The woman clenched her jaw and said slowly, “You… How can you stand to be with someone that long who is not your true mate? You seem like the type to treat your possessions well, but still, I don’t understand.”

Castiel picked up on a slight accent in her voice. It was hidden carefully but came out when she seemed flustered. Castiel tilted his head to the side and countered, “I do not believe in true mates and I do not appreciate you referring to yourself as my true mate. You are nothing to me. I believe in love, loyalty, and respect. To answer your question as to how we have a successful relationship, we grow with each other and we do not confine ourselves to be who we were twenty-five years ago or even yesterday.” Castiel paused and added, “Thank you for having the pie ready for me. I am sure my mate will appreciate.”

The woman shook her head slightly which amused Castiel. He glanced at the name badge which read Amelia before walking out of the store. The walk home was peaceful. It was a clear day and the sun shined brightly in the sky. Castiel lifted his head a little as he walked. If he was younger, he had no doubt he would skip all the way home. He couldn’t wait to see his omega.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean found this whole true mate bullshit humorous. Sam was pissed about it. Alpha was pissed about it. Dean was fairly certain both women were gold digging for successful alphas. Smugly, Dean felt very satisfied with himself for having both alphas all to himself. He loved both of his alphas. Granted, he probably loved Sammy more than Alpha but he wasn’t about to tell anyone that. He had other things he wanted to talk to Alpha about before Sammy got back home.

After Dean ate his cherry pie, while, he ate most of it. He did have the decency to save a piece for Alpha, Ben, and Gabriel. Ben and Gabriel would be over in the morning. Dean sort of liked having his brother-in-law so close, it allowed for adult nights with Alpha. Ben only grumbled about not needing a babysitter one time and that grumbling stopped because Gabriel had no sensor. He informed Ben that they wanted him out of the house so they could have sex. Ben made a puke face and never complained about spending time with his uncle again.

Dean hummed to himself as he looked around Alpha’s bedroom. Alpha was tied to a chair completely naked. He was still in his cock cage and he still had the plug inside of him. Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote. He turned the plug on so it vibrated inside of his alpha. Castiel moaned and arched slightly off the chair. Dean grinned as he walked over Alpha. He straddled Alpha’s lap and rested their foreheads together. He listened for a few moments to Alpha’s shallow breaths before giving his alpha slow kiss followed by turning up the vibrating plug a little more. Alpha moaned into his mouth and Dean had rarely felt himself this satisfied.

Dean leaned back a little and rubbed Alpha’s shoulders as he shuttered from the vibrations. Dean was pretty sure Castiel was more responsive than either him or Sammy. He was also pretty sure Alpha spent most of his life being sexually repressed, but that was a pondering for another time. He had an important matter to discuss.

Dean leaned forward and gave his alpha one more kiss on the lips before leaning back and saying slowly, “I have something important I want to discuss with you.”

Castiel looked at him with lust clouded eyes. His hips were rocking in a vain attempt to get some sort of relief. The action endlessly amused Dean. Alpha seemed a little strained when he obliged, “Of course, Dean. Anything you need.”

Dean grinned and said nervously, “I want to have another baby.”

Alpha stilled under him and even Alpha’s breathy sighs stopped. The only thing that could be heard was the slight buzz of the vibrator. Dean’s stomach curled with the thought that perhaps Alpha didn’t want to have another baby. Alpha cleared his throat and said calmly, “Dean, I feel this is a conversation that is best to have when we aren’t engaging in a sexual activity.”

Dean shrugged and countered, “Babies are made from sexual activity.”

Alpha shifted in his bonds and shook his head. He didn’t look angry rather he had a fond smile on his face. “I suppose that is true. I like to think that children are the result of profound love. I know that is not the case of some, but I like to believe it is the case for us.”

Dean shrugged again and turned the vibrator up one more notch. Alpha gave a short moan and Dean could tell Alpha was trying to keep himself under control. “Na, I think our little bug was the result of failed birth control.”

Alpha smiled slightly, “Perhaps but Dean, I never once doubted that from the moment Ben was conceived he was loved.”

Dean pouted a little, “You said I could abort my son.”

Alpha looked away and his shoulders dropped, “Only because what you did with your body wasn’t my choice. I wanted you to go to the treatment facility. If I didn’t view you as a person, as someone I love deeply, I would have never given you the choice. It would have hurt me if you chose abortion, but I would have never stopped loving you or Ben.”

Dean never looked at it like that. At the time, he thought Alpha was being an asshole. Dean shook his head from those thoughts. “Thanks, Alpha.” He patted his belly and said fondly, “I am hoping for a less dramatic pregnancy this time around.”

Castiel nodded his head and asked, “So do you want to try during your next heat?”

Dean smiled and ran his hands up and down Alphas chest and belly. He cuddled in and whispered, “Yes, but I want both you and Sammy to knot me without protection.”

Castiel growled at that request and fought against the restraints. Dean found it hot as Hell so he peppered some kisses on Castiel’s neck. It took a few moments for Castiel to calm through shaky breaths. Shakily Castiel said, “Dean, I… I want to know why you want both of us. How will we know who the father is?”

Dean sighed dramatically, “They have DNA tests, you know. I read that if an omega has two mates like me, if they both impregnate me then I won’t go crazy omega and I won’t have to go to the treatment facility. I know it is a long shot with my age and all, but I want to try. I talked to Charlie. She still works at the facility I was at. She said Ben can visit or even stay with me because he’s an omega. We can work that out with Ben later. The only thing I am concerned about with going to the facility is all these omegas wanting to mate you and Sammy.”

Castiel chuckled, “I can make sure Sam and I reek of sex enough to leave them running for the hills. I am faithful to you, Dean, as is Sam. Our little alpha was rather upset about Jessica. Do not tell him I told you but he cried about the thought of us not being mated. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Dean nestled into Castiel and started to work the cage off his cock and balls. He asked casually, “What about the bitch at the pie shop?”

Castiel groaned as the cage was finally slipped free. He thrust his hips up towards Dean who started steadily stroking him. “She is nothing to me. I will have to find a different bakery. Gabriel might have some good recommendations.”

Dean hummed a little, “That sounds good, Alpha.” Then he picked up the pace with stroking his alpha.

++

Sam sat nervously at the doctor’s office in New York. Neither of his mates knew he was here. It was for a consultation, nothing more. The office was white and sterile. Sam chewed on his lip nervously and nearly jumped out of his skin when an older alpha walked in the room.

The man smiled and held out a hand, “Dr. Benton and you must be Sam Winchester.”

Sam nodded his head yes as he shook the doctor’s hand and stammered, “Yes, I am.”

The doctor sat down on his stool and opened his file. He sounded rather clinical when he said, “You wanted to see what your options were for sterilization and the removal of your knot. Is that correct?”

Sam nervously said, “Yes,” as he twisted his hands in his lap.

The doctor didn’t seem phased. “Why are you considering this procedure?”

Sam glanced at the alpha then he looked away. He spoke calmly, “I am a defective alpha. I shouldn’t reproduce and I am mated to an alpha. I have never felt like an alpha. Ever since I presented, I felt like I was born into the wrong body. On the inside, I felt like I should be an omega, like my brother.”

The doctor nodded and wrote a few notes, “That is fairly common for someone like yourself. Your brain chemistry is messed up. Your brain knew you should be an omega but your body didn’t. This is the end result. Now we have a couple of different options, but I would like to examine you first. Can you lean back on the table and put your feet in the stirrups?”

Sam obediently laid back and put his feet in the stirrups. He stared at the ceiling as the doctor lifted up his gown to give him a view of everything. He closed his eyes as the doctor touched around his cock, balls, and rectum. The doctor seemed to spend a lot of time at his rectum and Sam gasped when he felt a finger push inside him. That hasn’t happened since he went to the omega doctor.

The doctor removed his finger a short time later and slipped off his gloves. Sam slowly sat up and covered himself as he looked at the far wall. The doctor picked up his clipboard again and asked, “Good boy. Do you always shave off your body hair?”

Sam glanced at him and said before thinking, “Yes, Alpha doesn’t allow it.”

The doctor paused but then nodded, “It says here you mated at age fourteen, is that correct?”

Sam looked away in shame. This was always when the rape talk started. He nodded his head yes but didn’t vocalize.

To Sam’s surprise, the doctor commented, “Your alpha did a very wise thing. I would have suggested mating you even younger. Having a firm alpha tends to help wrongfully presented alphas like yourself. Now, we have some options which I will go over with you. I will not perform any of these procedures on you without first talking with your alpha and getting his agreement.”

Sam opened his mouth and closed it a few times. He was a lawyer. He knew that didn’t sound right or legal, but he couldn’t bring himself to go into lawyer mode. Instead, he asked, “Why?”

The doctor smiled, “Legally, you may not be his property, but you should be. Mentally, you’re his and I am certain he feels the same way about you. He had taken very good care of his property. You don’t have any anal tearing. No sign of hemimerids. The skin around your knot is tight which means he rightfully restricts your orgasms. You found yourself a good alpha. It is probably the only thing that has kept you from killing yourself.”

Sam nodded and felt strangely subdued. He wanted his alpha more than anything right now and Sam knew he would have his alpha soon. After this appointment, he would be on the next flight home and he would tell his alpha everything. Sam glanced at the doctor and asked, “What are my options?”

The doctor nodded and his voiced changed to clinical again, “You’re a healthy alpha. The least invasive option would be a simple vasectomy. It would sterilize you and it may or may not prevent your knot from forming. It is about fifty-fifty on that but the knot sack will still be there. The next option is to remove the knot sack and do a vasectomy. It requires more healing time. The third option and the one I recommend is a full removal. We can completely remove the penis and the testicles. It is the most invasive and you would need a catheter for about two weeks. Your sex drive may be reduced but your instincts, the omega brain of yours will be happier and it won’t take away your ability to please your alpha sexually.”

Sam chewed on the inside of his lip. On the surface, the third option sounded better than what he had come in to ask about. Sam absolutely hated everything that made him an alpha. He felt disgusted by himself more times than he could count. He knew he would have to talk to Alpha about it and he was nervous about what Alpha would have to say. Sam knew that Alpha denied his request for a vasectomy before, but his reasoning was different. He didn’t want to get Dean pregnant.

Sam closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. He was so glad Dean never wanted more children.


	3. Chapter 3

Castiel hugged Sam tightly when he finally got home. He slipped Sam’s collar around his neck and as he did, he watched his little alpha relax. One advantage of being in a free state was Sam was allowed to be submissive to him. It was more open for them and Castiel thought it helped Sam. He kissed the side of Sam’s face and whispered, “I missed you so much.”

Sam smiled as he dropped his bags by the laundry to be sorted later. He rubbed the back of his neck and asked, “Can I talk to you, Alpha? It’s important.”

Castiel nodded and smiled, “Of course, Little Alpha. Let us go back to the bedroom. I feel you would be much more comfortable stripped down.” They held each other’s hand as they made their way into the bedroom. All signs of previous activities with Dean had been safely hidden away. He let go of Sam’s hand so Sam could remove all of his clothing, leaving only his panties. They were the same hazel color of Sam’s eyes. Castiel smiled fondly as Sam knelt down on a cushion in front of him. Castiel truly believed that no one in the world was luckier than him.

Castiel ran a gentle hand through Sam’s hair while he waited for Sam to feel comfortable enough to talk to him. There was no rush. It was just the two of them. Finally, after a few moments, Sam whispered, “I visited a doctor while I was in New York.”

Castiel paused his hand in Sam’s hair. He wasn’t aware Sam was ill. He cupped Sam’s face in his hands and searched his little alpha for any signs of illness. Castiel couldn’t find anything wrong and it worried him greatly, “Why? Are you ill? I will make a follow-up appointment for you.”

Sam shook his head no gently in Castiel’s hands. He turned his head enough to kiss the palm of Castiel’s hand and said quietly, “No, I am not ill. At least not physically. I visited a doctor because I have always disliked being an alpha as I am sure you know. I wanted to find out what my options were for sterilization and removal of my knot sack.”

Castiel pulled Sam in close against him so that Sam’s head was pressed up against his torso. He wrapped his arms around Sam’s head and shuddered. He felt tears filling his eyes. He feared his little alpha did something irreversible. It took him a couple moments to calm down enough to ask, “What happened?”

He didn’t let go of Sam so Sam’s voice was a little muffled in his shirt. “Nothing, the doctor wants to talk to you and meet you before he does any procedure. He wants your blessing.” Castiel found himself growling slightly as he repositioned his arms to hold Sam near. Sam muttered, “I know what procedure I want.”

Castiel closed his eyes and a few tears escaped his eyes. He knew alphas weren’t supposed to cry but he didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand how Sam could view himself as something that needed to be sterilized. Sam wasn’t a dog or mutt. Sam was one of the most brilliant people he’d ever met and loved. Castiel lifted one of his hands and wiped away his tears before returning his hand to the back of Sam’s head. His voice cracked when he asked, “What procedure do you want?”

Sam turned his head to his torso and Castiel let him. He held his mate close while he waited for what he had to say. It was muffled but Castiel heard it. “I want my penis and testicles completely removed.”

Castiel had no formed in his mouth before he stopped himself. He gave Dean choices on what to do with his body. He let Dean choose whether or not to be on birth control. He gave Dean control over his body. He’d never done that with Sam, ever. Sam had always been told what he could and could not do with his body. Sam was never given a choice on whether or not to use a condom when Dean’s birth control failed all those years ago. Sam knew he had to.

But this, Castiel didn’t know if what Sam should have this choice. To Castiel, what Sam wanted sounded to be more like self-hatred and a need to mutilate than a choice that Sam should be given regarding his body. He took a couple deeper breaths while he formed his answer. “I…” Castiel didn’t know what to say really, “I don’t like the idea, Sammy. What about sex? You enjoy that.”

Sam shrugged, “The doctor said I would still be able to service you sexually so that is all that really matters. I like orgasming but I like to know you and Dean are taken care of.”

Castiel couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through his body. He could picture it. He could picture Sam without anything down there. Castiel quickly buried that image. “What about your brother?”

Sam shook his head, “Dean usually fucks me unless he is in heat. He only has a few more years of heats left anyways.”

Castiel licked his lips and nodded. “Sam, I think you’re perfect just the way you are. I will meet with this doctor if that is truly what you want. However, we need to discuss something. I was going to wait for Dean, but this is probably better discussed without him.” He paused and took a shaky breath, “Dean wants to have another child. He wants us both to try to impregnate him on his next heat. If he conceives twins, with each of us being the father to one of them, he likely won’t end up in the treatment facility again.”

Sam’s face twisted in disgust, “Dean can’t honestly want that with me. I’m useless as an alpha.”

Castiel raised Sam’s head to look at him, “You are far from useless, Sammy. I would be honored if you chose to father a child with Dean. I would love that child as my own, always.”

Sam looked away and asked, “Can I think about it?”

Castiel smiled sadly, “Of course Sam. Please take all the time you need.” Castiel took another deep breath and asked, “We can set up time for you to start seeing a therapist if you think that would help.”

Sam shook his head no. He didn’t want a therapist.

++

Dean stared at his two mates a little stupidly. Slowly he asked, “Sammy, why do you feel like you need to cut your junk off? Please, I am not judging you but I don’t understand.” Dean couldn’t for the life of him imagine wanting to cut off his own dick or Alpha wanting his dick cut off for that matter. He shuttered a little at the thought of being sold to a sadistic alpha that would actually do that.

Sam shrugged from where he sat on Alpha’s bed, “I hate being an alpha.”

Dean sighed and paced back and forth across the room. He sounded exasperated when he asked, “And you think I enjoy being an omega? Jesus, Sam look at what happened to us because I am an omega. I leak slick out my ass. Somedays, I have to wear a pad or I would have wet pants. Where we used to live, I had to wear a collar and I wasn’t treated like a person by anyone except you and Alpha. Hell, it was perfectly legal for Alpha to have me put down like an unwanted dog. That is fucked up, Sammy. I would love to have a knot like you. And I don’t understand why you want to get your balls and dick cut off. I have those parts and I am still an omega.”

Sam curled into himself and shifted a little on the bed. “I know it’s not easy being an omega. I remember what it was like for five years when everyone thought I was an omega. I was happy.” Dean had a slightly different recollection of that time period.

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “Sam, I want to have a baby with you. I don’t care if you want Alpha to treat you like an omega at home. But, I can’t have a baby with you if you get your junk cut off.”

Sam chewed on his lip and whispered, “I have been doing research.”

Dean threw his arms up in the air and groaned. “Of course, he’s been doing research. Please, Sammy, tell me what you found.”

Sam shifted again on the bed, “So get this, a full castration used to be the treatment method for defective alphas. It made them more into betas than anything. It helped them function better in society because it removed all alpha signs and hormones from the body. I think it would help me mentally and you and Alpha would still be able to have sex with me. I just won’t feel any sexual pleasure.”

Dean rested his head against the wall, “Can you hear yourself right now, Sammy? Sex is important. You like getting off.” Dean fell silent for a moment when he made eye contact with Sam. “Will you go to therapy for me?”

Sam nodded his head yes because he would do anything for Dean.

Dean smiled sadly at his brother and sat down next to him. He was nervous when he asked, “I want to have another child. My time to do that is running out. Will you be okay with fathering a child? Alpha and I won’t love the child any less because he or she is yours.” He knew he sounded selfish right now and he knew that Sam's wants were being pushed aside for his. 

A couple tears fell down Sam’s face before he slowly nodded his head. His voice was weak when he said, “Sure Dean. I… Are you going to start hurting me again?”

Dean pulled his overgrown brother into a hug. He knew alphas liked cuddling so he placated Sammy. He rocked Sam in his arms for a moment before he said calmly, “No, never. If you and Alpha both knock me up at the same time, I shouldn’t go crazy omega. If not, I can go to the treatment facility. Ben can even visit and not have to be behind glass. I know it will be hard for you and alpha, but I don’t want to miss my chance.”

Sam cuddled up to him and said fondly, “Are you really okay with having an incest baby?”

Dean grinned and ruffled his hair. “Of course, bitch.”

Sam jabbed Dean lightly in the ribs, “Jerk.”

They glanced at each other as Alpha sighed. They both knew a lecture about name calling was in the future. 


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriel got assigned pie duty for Dean’s upcoming heat. Dean hated every other bakery in town except the one Castiel’s stalker worked at. As much as Gabriel would like to find that humorous, he didn’t. The thought of Castiel leaving Sam and Dean for some stranger, just rubbed him the wrong way. He ordered seven pies. All apple and cherry for Dean. He thought about ordering a sugar cream pie, just to spite Dean but he didn’t. He knew better than to mess with an omega in heat. Sugar cream was the only type of pie Dean didn’t care for.

He waited in line and the bustling bakery. It smelled nice and it looked clean. The other pastries in the display case looked tempting but Gabriel reframed himself. The last thing he needed was for Castiel’s stalker to get attached to him. Although, he might be able to use her in a pornography or something. He usually wasn’t one to overlook a business opportunity.

He grinned as he finally made his way up to the counter. The omega behind the counter had the name tag that read Amelia. Gabriel winked at her. “I have an order for pies, Gabriel Novak.”

The woman shook her head and grabbed the bag of pies. The sat it on the counter and said disinterestedly, “Your total is $94.50.”

Gabriel handed over the cash because like Castiel, he didn’t want his credit card information stolen by this nut. The woman handed him the receipt then Gabriel started to pick up the bag when the woman’s hand stopped him. He asked kindly, “Can I help you?”

She glanced around and whispered, “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Gabriel sighed. He really wanted to get these pies to Dean before the fuckery started. He did not want to see his little brother have sex, ever. He might be interested in watching Sam and Dean go at each other, but not Castiel. Gabriel shook his head to pull it out of the gutter. He decided it was best to placate the nut job, “Sure.”

She stepped out from behind the counter and they slipped into a corner booth. Gabriel noticed that someone else took over at the counter. He turned his attention back to the woman while he waited to see what it was she wanted. “Is Castiel related to you?”

Gabriel ran a hand over his face. He stated calmly, “Castiel is my baby brother. I love him and his mates dearly.”

The woman nodded and fiddled with her hands. “My family believes in true mates. We moved here because a seer told me my true mate would be here. I found him. I think he is your brother.”

Gabriel leaned back in the booth and squinted at the woman. He spoke slowly, “Do you know what I think? I think you’re just angling for a way to worm your way into our lives. I think you see my brother as some trophy alpha and you want his money. I think your seer is just some nut job like yourself that helps you track down lonely alphas to steal their money. Unfortunately, for you, Castiel isn’t lonely.”

The woman sighed and said exasperatedly, “I do not want his money. My daughter scented him. I did not mate with her father so I can still smell my true mate.”

Gabriel shook his head and countered, “So you and your daughter are in on this scam. Good to know.”

The woman slammed her fists down and seethed, “I do not understand you. Surely, you can scent I am something to your brother.”

Gabriel leaned forward and took an exaggerated sniff from his nose. He stared at her in the eye as he said, “Smells nothing like something that would mean anything to me. But I can tell you what you smell like to me… Gold digging whore.” Gabriel let the alpha red show in his eyes as he said slowly, “Stay away from my little brother. Stay away from his mates and his children. If I so much as hear about you sniffing around him again, I will do everything in my power to have you sent back to whatever hole you dragged yourself out of.”

The woman closed her eyes, “Can you tell him my name? He should at least know the name of his true omega.”

Gabriel stood up and grabbed the pies. He shrugged, “Castiel does know the name of his true omega. He has ownership paperwork for him and everything.”

Gabriel started to walk to the door with the pies when she shouted, “My name is Amelia.” He didn’t turn around to say anything. He just flipped her the bird and put making Dean approved pies on his list of things to do. He figured he could start testing pies with Ben while Dean was in heat.

++

Ben sat on the sofa with his omega dad and Uncle Sammy on either side of him. His alpha father sat in a nearby chair. Ben couldn’t wrap his mind around what they were telling him. They wanted another baby. He knew it was immature and stupid but he felt tears sting his eyes. He thought that he was such a disappointment that his parents wanted to try again.

It made sense for them to want Uncle Sammy to father a child with his omega dad. With Uncle Sammy, they had a chance of not having an omega. Ben knew he was a disappointment, even if nobody ever said that to his face. He knew they would have pampered him like a little prince if he was an alpha or gave him something more if he was a beta. Instead, he was an omega. A worthless, stupid omega. Ben wrapped his arms around himself. He hated being an omega.

Ben let out a slow breath and said quietly, “Why do you want to have another kid now?”

His omega dad answered, “My biological clock is running out and we live in a better place now. You’re older and so if I have to go to a treatment facility, I won’t feel like I am missing as much.”

Ben crossed his arms and pouted, “I know you’re not missing much. Just nine months of my life to push out another breeding bitch or a deformed baby.”

He flinched a little with his alpha father’s commanding voice, “Benjamin, you will never speak of your future siblings like that again.” Ben looked away because he had to obey his alpha father. His alpha father continued, “The risk of birth defects with a child fathered by Sam and Dean is less than one percent higher than with Dean and I having a child together.” His father sighed, “And no omega of mine is a breeding bitch. Dean is not. You are not. Any future children we have are not. Ben, you are valued by more than your secondary gender. I understand you’re jealous, but please understand we are not replacing you.”

Ben kicked his feet out in front of him and muttered, “I’m sorry, Alpha Dad.” He bared his throat a little to his father unconsciously asking for forgiveness. Ben knew his dads would always forgive him. He looked down at the floor and said firmly, “I am not giving up my room for them.”

Dean chuckled, “The guest room next to the master suite will be the nursey. You shouldn’t even be able to hear them cry in the middle of the night.”

Ben huffed, “I bet I can. I hear you guys having sex all the time.”

Dean looked shocked and shouted, “What?”

Ben glared at his omega dad. “I thought you guys were fighting or something, but Uncle Gabe explained to me what you’re doing in the middle of the night.” Ben shook his head and muttered, “If I hear Alpha please or that is my good or whatever one more time, I am going to shove a pencil in my eardrum.”

Dean nodded awkwardly, “I will look into better soundproofing.”

Ben sighed exasperatedly, “Or you could quit having sex. You guys are old. Just stop it already. Go play bingo or take up knitting or something. Or better yet, instead of bringing more children into the world adopt a puppy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surely, there is a pie Dean Winchester doesn't like, right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire chapter is smut.

Dean stretched out on the bed in Alpha's room. He rubbed his belly absently as he waited for his heat to start. As much as he wanted to start fucking both of his alphas ten minutes ago, Dean knew it was better to wait until his heat was in full swing. His poor penis and hole always got sore during heat.

The only time it didn't was when Sammy took care of him. His little brother had these girly smelling lotions and salt baths for him between knottings. Dean secretly loved Sam's extra care, but he would never admit that to himself or anyone and especially not Sammy.

Dean closed his eyes and sighed. He could feel Sam's eyes on him from across the room. He knew, he just knew the alpha wanted to cuddle because all alphas like to cuddle. Dean opened his eyes and grinned at Sam. That was enough encouragement for Sam to come over and sit down on the edge of the bed.

A little reluctantly Dean held his arm open for Sam to cuddle in next to him. He tried and probably failed to sound cranky when he said, "Come here." Sam didn't need to be told twice and quickly laid down next to him and cuddled. Dean wrapped an arm around Sam while he shook his head fondly. He wished Sam could just tell him what he needed sometimes.

Dean's eyes caught Alpha. Castiel sat in the corner of the room, peacefully reading a book while sipping on some gross tea. All tea was gross in Dean's not so humble opinion. Dean knew it was a little creepy but he stared at Alpha. He knew he was probably ogling his alpha, but he figured that was allowed. It took a few minutes for Alpha to notice but when he did, he simply closed the book and walked over to the bed.

Alpha laid down on his other side and swung an arm around him. Dean would never admit in this life or the next, but he felt the safest when he was snuggled in between his two alphas. Dean glanced at them both briefly as he relaxed. He closed his eyes to rest while he waited for his heat to start. He knew nothing bad would happen to him because he was safe, warm, and voluntarily cuddled.

Dean woke up with a fire around his dick. It wasn’t really a fire but the start of his heat. He shifted in bed to snuggle closer to the alpha with the perfect knot. He rutted his hips against the alpha for a couple moments before the alpha huffed and pulled away from him. Dean whined with the loss but alpha’s hands were still on him, gently spreading his legs open.

Dean let his legs fall open as an invite. He wanted this alpha’s knot yesterday. Gently, the alpha with the perfect knot ran a finger from the tip of cock down over his sack and finally around his hole. Dean tried to buck his hips to the finger but he was unsuccessful. The alpha carefully circled his rim which caused Dean to both moan and whine. Finally, just when Dean thought he might pin the alpha down himself, he felt the alpha gently press a finger inside of him.

The burning inside of him eased just a little. He pushed back against the finger which was of no use. The alpha continued to be gentle as he slowly stretched him open. Secretly, Dean loved the attention this alpha gave him. He shifted a little when he felt the alpha kiss his knee as another finger slowly slid in. Dean found himself canting his hips as he desperately wanted more.

Unfortunately, for him, the alpha with the perfect knot seemed content to endlessly tease him. Dean whined as the other alpha, the one without the perfect knot, ran a gentle hand through his hair and said quietly, “I think he is ready.”

Dean felt the alpha with the perfect knot removed his fingers and Dean let out a low whine. It wasn’t fair. He wanted a knot or fingers or something to take the edge off this heat. Dean whispered, “Please.”

As he spoke the alpha with the perfect knot shifted and Dean felt the head of the alpha’s glorious cock at his hole. This was it. This was what he wanted. Only the alpha didn’t put the cock in the hole. Dean pouted and tried to shift down on the cock, but strong steady arms stopped him. The alpha with the perfect cock sounded concerned which Dean couldn’t understand, “Are you sure, Dean?”

Dean glared at the alpha before his eyes fell to his perfect dick and the knot that would soon be forming. He nodded a little enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”

That seemed to be all the encouragement, the alpha needed before he pushed in all the way in one solid movement. It had Dean seeing stars. It was perfect beyond words. He started to shift his hips in line with the alpha’s thrusts. Dean loved the feeling and he reached out his hands to rub his hands up and down the alpha’s chest. This alpha really was perfect. Perfect body. Perfect knot. Perfect mate. Dean loved him.

Dean smiled as he leaned up and gave the alpha a sloppy kiss on the lips. He felt the alpha cup the back of his head to help deepen the kiss. The shifting or perhaps the kissing or the way the alpha’s fingers felt on his scalp caused Dean’s dick to throb. He could feel himself leaking on his belly. It felt cool on his stomach. He wanted more.

He rocked his hips a little harder against the alpha’s thrusts. The alpha moaned in his mouth as his knot started to grow. The feeling of the knot starting to form sent Dean a little closer to the edge. It rubbed perfectly right against his prostate. He started to push harder because he wanted more sensation on his prostate. It made his dick pulse. Then as Dean ran his arms down the alpha’s sides, one particularly hard thrust had Dean climaxing all over his belly. He came completely untouched, as he normally did with the alpha with the perfect knot. As he came, his muscles clamped down around the alpha, but the alpha’s knot didn’t lock inside of him yet. The alpha continued to trust in and out. Dean continued to clench his muscles as he came down from his orgasm. He felt the alpha’s knot start to catch on his rim.

Dean could almost feel his inner omega begging for the alpha’s knot and the alpha’s seed. The alpha slowed his thrusts just before the last thrust he needed to lock inside, he asked, “Are you okay, Dean?”

Dean glanced up at the perfect alpha, “Knot me,” and so the alpha did. The moaned happily as the alpha’s knot locked in place and he felt the alpha’s seed start to spill inside of him. The feeling made him a very very happy omega.

He felt the alpha rest his head in the crook of his neck and kiss his mating bite as he whispered, “I love you, Dean.”

++

After the perfect alpha, Dean fell asleep. When he woke up he was covered in sweat and the perfect alpha was putting lotion on his dick and around his hole. It was cool to the touch and Dean secretly wanted more, but he couldn’t admit that. He absently swatted at the perfect alpha to move his hands away. The alpha did but Dean saw a look of concern on the alpha’s face.

He didn’t really care though. He was hot, sweaty, and he wanted another knot. It seemed like the not so perfect alpha could read his mind because Dean felt the not perfect alpha turn him on his side so he could gently start to thrust inside of him. It made Dean feel pretty good, but at the same time, he couldn’t stop giggling.

Not perfect alpha asked, “What is so funny, Dean?”

Dean giggled historically as the alpha fucked, “Put the lotion on the skin or it gets the hose again.”

The alpha groaned, “I don’t understand the reference.” The alpha ran a hand through Dean’s hair and Dean almost purred but he stopped himself. The alpha sounded mildly concerned, “Sammy, can you get the thermometer? Dean is burning up. I need to knot him quickly.”

Dean was completely on board with getting knotted quickly. The imperfectly knotted alpha picked up the pace and Dean loved it but it wasn’t enough to get him off. It still felt nice and he found himself gasping in pleasure. His pleasure was interrupted when something cold was pressed against his forehead. Dean tried to swat it away but the alpha fucking him grabbed hold of his hands.

The thermometer beeped at the same time the alpha’s knot locked inside of him and the alpha’s seed started to spill. It didn’t feel as good as the other alpha and notably for Dean. He didn’t get off. Dean surmised that he must have gotten the hose inside of him. Sometimes, forgoing lotion was worth it.

The alpha with the perfect knot said, “105.6.”

The alpha tied to Dean ran a hand up and down his side, “Get some acetaminophen for him, please.”

Dean grumbled because seemingly out of nowhere two pills and a glass of water appeared in front of his face. He took the pills and held onto the glass as he drank the entire thing. When he took his final gulp, he felt the warm lips of the alpha with the perfect knot wrap around his dick.

Dean dropped the empty glass on the bed and buried his hand in the perfect alpha’s shaggy hair. He patted the alpha's head and said affectionately, “You’re my favorite lotion on the skin.” Then Dean reached behind him and patted the other alpha’s hip, “And you’re my favorite hose again.”

The alpha behind him kissed his neck gently and whispered, “Once you get him off, please get us some cool towels. If we can’t get the fever down we may need to go to the hospital. He seems delirious.”


	6. Chapter 6

Ben spun around on the bar stool at his Uncle Gabriel’s house. He was bored out of his mind. The spinning seemed to help a little, at least until he got dizzy and thought he might throw up. He stopped his spinning and rested his arms on the bar overlooking the kitchen. His uncle had cookbooks scattered about and seemed to be trying to decipher something. It sort of reminded Ben of when his Omega Dad would try to figure something out. Omega Dad would surround himself with reading material and supplies to try to figure it out. He usually didn’t and Uncle Sammy would walk in the room and know exactly what to do.

Ben shook his head. He didn’t understand how Uncle Sammy could be decent at just about everything. He wanted to grow up to be just like Uncle Sammy. He pouted at Uncle Gabriel, “What are you doing?” He just wanted to do something fun. Okay, so maybe he took after Omega Dad.

Uncle Gabriel looked up and Ben could see the stress lines on his face. He even sounded a little on edge, “I am attempting to figure out how to make a pie for your omega dad. He’s rather picky which is complicating this.”

Ben shrugged. He didn’t think his omega dad was picky. He just had a cultured taste for pie or at least that was what he was told by his alpha dad. Ben sighed dramatically, “I can give you Uncle Sammy’s recipe for pie crust. I have it memorized.”

Uncle Gabriel looked up at him and grinned briefly before a fake look of being wounded appeared on his face. “You know how to make pie?”

Ben grinned and twisted on the bar stool a little. Proudly he said, “Yep, Uncle Sammy taught me.”

Gabriel closed the cookbook and asked slowly, “Then why exactly do we buy pies for Dean’s heats.”

Ben chuckled, “Uncle Sammy only makes pies for birthdays and holidays. He’s busy being a lawyer and all. It must be cool to travel all over the country to defend human rights.”

Gabriel stood up and stretched. He walked over to Ben and teased, “You’ve been withholding valuable information from me. What about my human rights?” Ben giggled and started to stand up from the bar stool. Gabriel caught him around his waist and used his other hand to start tickling relentlessly. Ben kicked out his feet in an attempt to get away but was unsuccessful. His uncle was stronger than him. Gabriel tickled him until he had Ben on the floor under him. Then he demanded in between tickles, “Who is your favorite uncle?”

Tears leaked from Ben’s eyes from laughing so hard. He squealed, “Uncle Sammy!”

Gabriel pulled his hands away and acting like his was crying. Ben tried to catch his breath but he couldn’t stop laughing at his uncle’s antics. Gabriel mock pouted, “But I am the bringer of candy.”

Ben smiled as he caught his breath, “Uncle Sammy is like a dad to me.”

Gabriel snapped his fingers and said proudly, “That means I can still be the cool uncle!”

Ben gave his uncle a fake look of concentration. He rubbed his chin with his hand for a few moments and pondered, “I don’t know. Uncle Sammy is pretty cool.”

Gabriel gasped and laid down next to him on the floor. He held up a hand and said, “But does he give you candy?”

Ben shook his head no and said happily, “No, he never has treats. Alpha Dad hand feeds him.” He rolled his eyes because Ben knew that Uncle Gabriel knew Uncle Sammy didn’t feed himself. He did find it a little weird, but he was eternally grateful, he wasn’t handfed.

Gabriel fist pumped in the air which made Ben giggle, “That is one for me. Let me think, does he let you stay up late?”

Ben shook his head no again as he grinned, “No, Alpha Dad is pretty strict about bedtimes.” Even staying up until midnight on New Years took some negotiation. He had a strict 12:15 bedtime that night, even Omega Dad and Uncle Sammy had to be to bed.   

Gabriel snapped his fingers again, “Two for me. Does he let you order whatever you want when you go out to eat?”

Ben chuckled, “Nope, Alpha Dad ruined that one for Uncle Sammy too.” Usually, they decided what they wanted to order before they went out. Alpha Dad did give him a couple choices, but he didn’t have free range on the menu. Ben didn’t really mind that though. It wasn’t like he could order for himself when they went out where they used to live anyways. At least, he was given some choice.

Gabriel sat up and declared, “Three for me. We now have a mission, young nephew. Our mission is to prove to you I am the fun uncle. First, we are going to go out and order everything on the menu then we are going to stream movies and eat a lot of junk food.”

Ben’s eyes brightened for a moment. “We’re going to watch movies? Alpha Dad never lets me watch movies unless he’s already seen it and approved it. He doesn’t even let Omega Dad and Uncle Sammy watch unapproved movies. I don’t think I have ever seen anything rated over PG. I usually am only allowed to watch documentaries.”

Gabriel curled up his nose in disgust, “He makes you watch documentaries?”

Ben shrugged as he stood up, “Yep, Uncle Sammy pushed for me to be able to watch movies. Something about it helping my social development. That is why Uncle Sammy is the cool uncle. He can convince Alpha Dad to give me some freedom.”

Gabriel nodded his head seriously for a moment before he declared, “Well, I now know what we are watching first… Braveheart.”

Ben groaned and asked, “Is that movie older than I am?” He did not want to watch some cheesy movie with crappy acting.

Gabriel grinned widely as he declared, “Yes, it is.”

Ben sighed and started to walk over to where he left his shoes. “Forcing me to watch ancient movies is not going to help you surpass Uncle Sammy.”

++

Jessica glared at room 42 as she wrung out her mop. After Sam dropped her off at a shelter in California, she found a job as a janitor at the local hospital three nights a week. The other evenings she washed dishes at a local restaurant. She wasn’t living well by any sense of the imagination. She blamed Sam for her woes. He was her true mate and he abandoned her without so much as a good luck.

She knew she should be grateful. He did save her from death, but somehow, death seemed favorable to what she had to endure in her life. Death would mark the end of so much emptiness and pain. She did everything to try to draw Sam’s attention during college, but there was always another omega in the way and perhaps, more importantly, another alpha whispering in Sam’s ear exactly what he should do, exactly how he should act, and everything else about him.

Sometimes, she wished she could have met Sam before he knew Castiel. She wondered if they would have had something then. She wondered if she would have baked cookies for Sam to have when he came home from work. She wondered so many things and she had countless dreams of what her life would be like with her true mate.

But she knew those dreams were just that… dreams. Sam would never love her or care about her. She wasn’t part of Sam’s family. Sure, Sam saved her but he was a civil rights lawyer and they knew each other from college. Sam did his job and walked away. In fairness, she did hear from Sam about once a month, he would call to make sure she was safe and doing okay. It caused jealously to roll inside her every single time.

Jessica slapped her mop down on the floor and started to aggressively mop the floor. Right behind door 42 was her true mate fucking another omega. It made her want to yell at the omega for stealing her alpha. She was so caught up in her mopping she bumped into someone. Jessica sighed and muttered, “Sorry.”

She about fell over when Sam said tiredly, “It’s okay, Jessica. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” Sam moved sluggishly to step around her. He looked like death, in her not so humble opinion. His hair was dirty and in complete chaos. He had dark circles under his eyes. Despite being over six feet tall, Sam looked remarkably small in his pajama pants and hoody. It caused something to ache inside of Jessica. She longed to comfort Sam, but she knew it would be unwanted.

Jessica frowned at Sam as she pushed aside the thoughts of comforting Sam. She asked kindly, “Is everything okay? You look worn out.”

Sam laughed humorously, “Apparently, Dean being Dean, he got a fertility treatment to help him conceive twins and didn’t tell Castiel. He wants Castiel and I to both impregnate him.” Sam shook his head fondly, “The doctor said it is a strong heat because of the fertility treatment. Dean’s fever spiked at 106 and even here we’ve only been able to get it down to 104. I think Dean likes the cooling bed though.” A cooling bed was a bed that had a constant temperature usually around 60 degrees. It was designed to help an omega through heat.

Jessica gave Sam a sympathetic look because it was better than glaring. She said shortly, “I hope that _Castiel_ is able to knock him up.”

Sam shook head and smiled fondly, “You and me both. He’s been all over me this heat. It’s like when he gets delirious, he only wants me and calls me the perfect alpha.” Sam gave a light laugh that spoke of how much he loved Dean. It made Jessica’s heartache that the laugh wasn’t for her. “Dean is something else.” Sam cleared his throat and flashed a smile, “I should let you get back to work. I need to meet Gabriel in the lobby with a pie for Dean. It was good to see you.”

Sam smiled at her again before walking out of her life to get a pie for an omega that wasn’t her. Jessica absolutely despised pie at that moment. She slammed her mop back in the bucket when she heard an alpha’s voice behind her, “Hello darling.”

Jessica turned around and stared at the rather scary looking alpha. She took a step back and put her mop bucket in between herself and the alpha. The alpha didn’t seem deterred. She stammered out, “What do you want?”

The alpha shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed, “Your moose has been a problem of mine for a long time. Imagine my surprise when I hear that Sam Winchester has a true mate. You see Sam took someone very special to me a long time ago. I can’t touch him because of Sam.”

Jessica sighed, “How did you even get in this ward? It is locked and more importantly, Sam doesn’t care about me.”

The alpha grinned devilishly, “Oh he cares, darling. He just doesn’t care the way you want him to care. I saw that exchange. How would you like to make a deal?”

Jessica glanced around and asked, “What kind of deal?”

The alpha shrugged, “All you have to do is spill that pretty mop bucket of yours on the power grid for this floor. Then I will take what I want and in return, I will give you what you want.”

Jessica glanced down at her mop bucket. Her heart longed for Sam so bad. She closed her eyes because what she wanted was Sam as her mate and she doubted a shady alpha could give her that. She reached down on the hem of her shirt and pushed the hidden call button for security.  


	7. Chapter 7

Sam smiled as brightly as he could considering how exhausted he was. Dean was on him nearly every two hours for his knot. Sam was honestly surprised his knot hadn’t fallen off on its own without the help of surgery by now. He was concerned about Alpha though, Dean seemed to be rejecting him which didn’t sit right with Sam. He knew he would have to have one of Dean’s dreaded chick flick moments with him after his heat ended and probably after Alpha punished Dean for taking medication without telling him.

He shuffled his feet over to a bouncy looking Ben and a grinning Gabriel. Even in Sam’s sleep deprived state, he knew they were up to something. He knew Alpha would lecture Gabriel endlessly and Ben would likely also get a lecture. Sam closed his eyes briefly, he didn’t want to deal with that. Instead of addressing it, he pulled Ben into a hug. He felt Ben wrap his arms around him and Sam gave him a gentle squeeze. He spoke quietly, “Your omega dad is going to be okay. He’s just having a rough heat.”

Ben pulled back and bounced a little on his heels. Gabriel definitely gave his nephew something. Ben smiled sheepishly, “I know. Omega Dad is a badass. Can I see him?”

Sam cast a glare over at Gabriel who gave him an innocent face. Carefully Sam said, “Not right now and watch your language. He is in rough shape and I don’t think you want to see your parent’s sex life. Once his heat starts to wind down I will make sure you can come up and see him though.” Sam smiled reassuringly at the end.

Ben narrowed his eyes and stated, “I want to see my dads. I don’t care if they are in bed together as long as they are covered. I just want to see them.” Ben had a certain firmness in his voice that Sam didn’t like.

Tiredly, Sam squared his shoulders and eyed Ben back until Ben shifted his gaze away. Then Sam took a firm tone. Dean called it his alpha tone, Sam hated it and he knew to never ever use this tone in front of Castiel. It was a good way to get punished. “You will see your omega father when his heat starts to subside. Your omega dad has a very high fever which we are trying to get down. Covering up for your sake won’t exactly help get his fever down. I know you are concerned about him and I understand that. Once I get back to his room, I can see if he feels up to talking to you on the phone. At the very least, I can make sure you talk to your alpha dad for a bit.”

Ben deflated, “Yes, Uncle Sammy. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be pushy I was just worried.”

Sam nodded slowly because he couldn’t fault Ben for being concerned. It was just more and more Ben reminded Sam of Dean at that age and Sam knew from experience that if Ben pushed too hard, Alpha would take it out of Ben’s ass literally.

Gabriel spoke up from beside Sam, “We made Deano a cherry pie. It was our second attempt. Hopefully, he likes it.”

Before Sam could comment on that an alarm rang out through the hospital. He glanced up and saw the word lockdown flashed above the door to the wing Dean was in. Sam felt dread curl in his stomach. He needed to get back to Dean right now. He had to make sure his brother was okay. Rationally, he knew Dean was fine. Alpha was with Dean and Alpha would always protect Dean.

++

Castiel pulled the cool cloth away from Dean’s forehead when he heard an alarm sound. He didn’t know what the alarm meant, but it couldn’t be good. Castiel leaned down and kissed Dean’s forehead which caused his omega to whine. He whispered quietly, “I will be right back, Dean. I need to make sure everything is okay.” Castiel slowly stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. His knees cracked loudly as he started to walk. Dean’s cooling bed did a number on his joints. It made him feel like an old man.

Before Castiel could reach the door, he heard over the intercom. “Attention patients and family. The omega ward has been put on lockdown until further notice. Please remain in your assigned rooms. In the case of a medical emergency, please push the nurse call button. All visitation has been canceled for the next two hours.”

Castiel paused and leaned his head against the door. He walked back over to Dean’s bed and pushed the nurse call button. Sam not being here was a medical emergency for Dean. He needed both of his alphas, not just one. The nurse answered after two rings, “Nurse’s station.”

Castiel sighed, “Yes, this is Castiel Novak. I am in room 42 with Dean Winchester. Our other mate, Sam, stepped out to get a package from family. I need to make sure Sam is able to get back to our room. Dean’s fever is dangerously high and he needs his mate.”

The nurse clicked a couple times on the computer while Castiel waited impatiently. She sounded bored when she said, “I can have the doctor call you. One alpha should be enough for Dean.”

Castiel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He heard Dean whine from the bed, “Sammy. I need Sammy’s knot.”

Castiel took a calming breath and stated slowly, “Dean’s other mate is Sam Winchester. He is a civil rights lawyer. I would hate for this hospital to face legal action from denying an omega in heat his alpha. Especially when the omega is begging for that alpha.”

There was a long pause before the nurse abruptly said, “I will have the doctor call you right now.”

++

Gabriel didn’t miss the quiet panic rising in both Sam and Ben. He shrugged and sat down on a bench. He said calmly, “Sammy, why don’t you call Cassie and tell him you’re okay.”

Sam nodded slowly as he sat down next to Gabriel. He patted his pockets for a couple moments before he whispered, “I left my phone. Alpha is going to… It doesn’t matter.”

Gabriel looked at Sam suspiciously. He had a pretty good idea what his dickwad of a little brother would do to Sam based on the look on Sam’s face. Sometimes, Gabriel wanted to kidnap Sam and hide him away from the world. Gabriel never fully understood Sam and he doubted he ever would. He couldn’t imagine the struggles that Sam faced in life. Gabriel decided to have another talk with Castiel about not being a dick to Sam.

Instead of focusing on whether or not Castiel had any intention of punishing Sam, Gabriel pulled out his cell phone and dialed Castiel’s number. It rang once before the panicked voice of Castiel was on the other line, “Gabriel! Please tell me Sammy and Ben are with you.”

Gabriel pulled the phone away from his ear to give it an offended look. He moved it back to his ear and said condescendingly, “Thank you for your concern about me, little brother. I could have been dying.” He heard Castiel growl on the other end of the line and Gabriel had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at his brother. He took pity on him and answered his question, “Yes, Samshine and Benshine are with me. They are both safe and sound. I haven’t counted all their fingers and toes, but I don’t see any signs of injury or blood so I think we are safe.”

Gabriel listened as Castiel took a couple calming breaths. “Thank the Gods. Can I talk to Sammy, please?”

Gabriel handed the phone to Sammy and glanced over at Ben. The little omega stated wide-eyed at the phone. Gabriel knew he wanted to talk to his dad and he couldn’t blame the kid. Gabriel would love it if his own father cared enough to talk to him.

++

“Hello Alpha. I’m sorry. They won’t let me back.” Castiel’s heart gave an uneasy clinch. He could tell by his little alpha’s tone that he was afraid of punishment. None of this was Sam’s fault. He felt like a failure in that moment, but he knew he had to keep everything together for his mates.

Castiel closed his eyes for a moment so he wouldn’t have to look at Dean’s struggling. He spoke firmly to Sam, “Is there some sort of law that prevents hospitals from keeping mates separated during an omega’s heat?”

Sam was quiet for a moment. Then he said slowly, “Yes, technically, Dean’s heat is a medical emergency and separation from his alphas could lead to death or even brain damage. However, by the time that actually got sorted out in court, the damage to Dean will already be done.”

Castiel was about to say something more when he heard a knock on the door to Dean’s room. He walked over and opened it to reveal two police officers. Two police officers that weren’t wearing the standard uniform for either the hospital or the city. It made his hackles rise, but Castiel struggled to keep himself in control. He kept Sam on the phone as he pulled it away from his ear and asked kindly, “Can I help you?”

One of the officers smiled deceitfully, “We have orders to remove all the alphas from this floor.”

Castiel could hear Sam talking but he couldn’t make out what was being said. He placed his hand firmly on the door to prevent these officers from entering. His voice was firm, “No, I will not leave my omega.”

The other officer took a step forward and spoke slowly, “We really must insist, Castiel.”

Castiel growled and tried to close the door only to be blocked by the two officers. Even though Castiel was tired he felt the need to protect his mate rise inside of him. It was like a force he had never felt before. He shoved both of the officers back by their necks. He had them safely outside of the room when he felt something in his side.

Castiel looked down and saw a knife in the officer’s hand covered in blood. His blood. He took a step back from the officers and the one that stabbed in wiped off his knife with a small towel. The officer smiled at him again and said slowly, “You’ll bleed out by the time anyone finds you. Just like the boss wanted.” The officer stepped into Castiel’s personal space and whispered, “Go back to your bitch and die.”

++

Dean shifted on his hospital bed when he heard a commotion from by the door. Being in a hospital sucked almost as much as flying. Dean got up when he heard Alpha’s growling stop. The last thing he expected was to see two thugs standing in front of his Alpha. It was pretty clear to Dean that the thugs stabbed Alpha which was not okay. He still needed Alpha’s knot and more importantly, when he wasn’t in heat, he just needed Alpha. Despite Alpha’s faults, he still loved the guy.  

Despite being naked and in the middle of heat, when Dean saw one of the thugs start to whisper in Alpha’s, he thought Alpha would get stabbed again. Dean ripped his IV out of his arm and grabbed the nearest object to protect Alpha. Said object happened to be a knotted dildo. It was bigger than either Sammy or Alpha, but it gave a nice stretch. It hadn’t been washed since it’s last use.

Dean marched over to the door seeing red. He pushed past Alpha and yelled as he held out the dildo, “You threatened my alpha. No one threatens my alpha except me!” Dean lunged at the thugs. He hit the one that stabbed Alpha in the face with the dildo. The other one took off running down the hall which Dean thought was just as well. Dean could focus on the one that stabbed his alpha. He knocked the thug to the ground and straddled him. Dean could feel slick leaking from him all over the thug but he didn’t care. All he could see was red. Dean lifted the dildo and began to beat the thug with it.

Vaguely, Dean could hear Alpha ordering him to stop. Alpha even used his alpha voice which Dean was able to ignore. Dean could see blood on the thug’s face from where he got hit with the dildo. However, the thing Dean could hear more than anything was the sound of his heart beating in his chest.

Just as Dean was about to start beating the thug in the chest. He felt an arm wrap around him and someone touches his mating bite. Dean heard Sam whisper in his ear, “Dean stop. It’s okay now.” Sam didn’t stop rubbing his mating bite and Dean felt himself slowly calm.

He slowly started to come back to himself as much as he could. That was when he noticed Alpha laying on the floor in a pool of blood. Alpha wasn’t lone though. Gabriel held Alpha’s head between his hands as he pleaded, “Please stay with me, baby brother. Please.”

++

Donna Hanscom prided herself as good officer of the law. The last thing she ever expected was a stabbing on the omega ward at the local hospital. Yet, here she was. Donna’s first stop was at the omega’s room. One Dean Winchester. His story was interesting enough, the omega had two alphas. One of which was his brother, the famed civil rights lawyer Sam Winchester. Donna had a hunch that this stabbing had to do with one of Sam Winchester’s cases.

She knocked on the door to the omega’s room and was greeted by an older alpha. One that wasn’t either Castiel Novak or Sam Winchester. She squared her shoulders for battle, “Who are you?”

The alpha took a defensive pose and said firmly, “Gabriel Novak. What do you want?” Novak. Donna guessed this alpha must be related somehow. Judging by his scent, Donna guessed he was a brother of Castiel Novak.

She held out her badge and said calmly, “I just want to make sure everything is okay.”

The alpha, Gabriel, nodded slowly and let her in the room. The first thing she noticed was very pale looking teenager with his knees drawn up to his chest sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. The next thing she noticed was two beds. One held an alpha. She couldn’t see the stab wound because of the blankets, but she could see an IV coming out of his arm giving him much needed blood. The alpha looked pale and weak. Donna could see the resemblance between the teenager and the alpha. On the other bed were the omega and another alpha. They were covered by a thin sheet but it was pretty clear what they were doing. Donna knew that the two on the bed must be Sam and Dean.

The alpha, Gabriel, spoke calmly, “Castiel is resting and as you can see Sam and Dean are tied together. Cassie lost a bit of blood but luckily, I was here to donate.” The alpha patted his arm happily. “The knife barely missed Castiel’s kidney. The doctor was able to stop the bleeding and he should make a full recovery. Do you know why this happened?”

Donna glanced around the room one more time before she said slowly, “That is what we are trying to figure out. Is there anyone that would want to hurt your family?”

The alpha from the bed spoke up, “I have ownership paperwork for two omegas besides Dean that live in free states. It is so they don’t have to worry about kidnapping. Their names are Jessica Moore and Kevin Tran. Jessica’s mate sent her to a breeding farm so I doubt it would be anyone from her past. However, Kevin escaped his alpha while Dean was pregnant with Ben. The alpha has tried to reach out to Kevin over the years with the intent of hurting Kevin.”

Donna asked Sam kindly, “Do you have Mr. Tran’s contact information?”

Sam nodded and said calmly, “Yes, I do. I can get you copies of everything I have once I get out of here. Kevin has a restraining order against his previous alpha, Crowley McCloud.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to cut this chapter off at the point where Castiel got stabbed but I thought that would be mean. Therefore, you got an extra long chapter!
> 
> Also, I am retaking my GMAT on Tuesday. Please pray, send positive vibes, or whatever you got my way.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben wanted to pour bleach in his eyes by the time his parents got released from the hospital. Seriously, who lets their kid stay in the same room as them during heat? It was awful. Absolutely, awful. His only saving grace was a nurse that took pity on him and gave him a pair of headphones and a sleep mask. At least, he didn’t have to hear or see anything, but he could still smell everything. Even Uncle Gabriel smelled horny which made Ben gag a little. He knew his Uncle Gabriel was something of a pervert but still.

He also never knew how much sex goes into heat. His omega dad seemed to have a never-ending sex drive. Ben did notice a routine though. Uncle Sammy would knot him and they would rest until Uncle Sammy’s knot went down. Then Uncle Sammy would draw his omega dad an ice bath while he rested. Uncle Sammy would put omega dad in the ice bath for about thirty minutes. The ice bath always smelled like a cherries and Ben didn’t think he would ever think of cherry snow cones the same. He did try to help Uncle Sammy with the ice bath one time and that went poorly. His omega dad was so out of it with a fever that he got growled at him. Uncle Gabriel told him it was nothing personal, but it still hurt.

After the ice bath, Uncle Sammy would try to get Omega Dad to eat something or drink. Then he would tend to Alpha Dad if he was awake. Then before Uncle Sammy had a chance to take a break, Omega Dad wanted a knot again. This was the point at which Ben always turned up the volume on his headphones and covered his eyes.

Ben did learn things about his parents during the hospital stay. He learned that his alpha dad was super controlling. Alpha Dad ordered Uncle Sammy around constantly. He didn’t know how someone could get stabbed and still be a control freak. Alpha Dad wasn’t well enough to knot Omega Dad which Ben wasn’t sure how he felt about that. It was mostly Uncle Sammy’s scent that bothered him. Uncle Sammy smelled worried. He didn’t have a chance to ask Uncle Sammy why because Uncle Sammy was busy taking care of everyone else.

Uncle Gabriel did help with Alpha Dad a little and told him to shut up more than once. He helped Alpha Dad walk to the bathroom and pick up food trays. Ben noticed rather quickly that Uncle Gabriel couldn’t get close to Omega Dad because if he did, Alpha Dad would start growling like a first grader. It made Ben roll his eyes because it wasn’t like Uncle Gabriel would mount Omega Dad. That was just gross to even think about.

All said Ben was glad to be home, even if their home had workers installing new windows and security doors. These windows were break resistant and bulletproof, as were the doors. The salesman told them even the police would have trouble kicking in their door. Ben thought it was overkill and he really didn’t like living in a free state at the moment. He wanted to go back home where Uncle Sammy and Alpha Dad were invincible and no one dared to touch him. People in free states were creepy, in Ben’s not so humble opinion.

He wanted to voice his concerns about safety and the possibility of moving back home to Uncle Sammy. It wasn’t like they couldn’t move back home. They still owned a home there. Bobby kept an eye on it. Sam was a good listener and he kept secrets better than anyone. Uncle Sammy never told Alpha Dad what they talked about and Ben liked that. He couldn’t trust others the way he trusted Uncle Sammy.

Unfortunately, Uncle Sammy was in Alpha Dad’s bedroom. Ben peeked into the room and saw that Uncle Sammy was sound asleep with Alpha Dad reading a book next to him. Ben wondered why Uncle Sammy wasn’t asleep in his own bed and why he was sleeping in the middle of the afternoon, but he didn’t ask.

Ben nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard his omega dad ask from behind him, “Benjamin, what are you doing?”

Ben hunched his shoulders a little in guilt. He muttered, “Nothing,” as he started to walk away from his omega dad. This whole situation sucked.

Omega Dad grabbed him gently by the arm and asked with concern, “Hey, clearly something is wrong. You know you can talk to me, right?”

Ben shook out of his dad’s grasp and totally did not pout, “I wanted to talk to Uncle Sammy.”

Omega Dad sighed, “I think Sammy is going be sleeping for the next two days. He’s exhausted from taking care of Alpha and I. I’m sorry, Ben. I know this whole thing has been difficult for you.”

Ben crossed his arms and said slowly, “Difficult? Where do you want to start with difficult? The part where you ended up in the hospital because you took some pill to make yourself super fertile? Or when I followed Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Sammy back to your room to see my alpha father bleeding out on the floor? Or maybe it was when I saw you completely naked straddling a man and beating him with a dildo? Or maybe just maybe, it was being stuck in your hospital room with you for the remainder of your heat while you screwed my uncle? Or maybe it was I couldn’t get close to my alpha dad or you because you would growl at me?”

Omega Dad sighed again and Ben rolled his eyes, “Ben, I was delirious. I would never reject you like that.”

Ben shook his head and his voice crack, “Well, you did and I got a front row seat to the creation of my replacement. I just hope you and Uncle Sammy create alphas. At least then you will have someone to be proud of.” Ben stalked away before he had to listen to any more of his omega dad’s crap.

++

Claire twirled her hair as she sat at the lunch table in the middle of the cafeteria. She tried to blend as she kept an eye on Benjamin Novak. The little omega was cute, in her opinion, and he smelled amazing. He smelled like home and safety, but his personality was anything but those two things. The omega was moody and filled with angst. Claire actually liked that in a weird sort of way. Claire reached down and scratched the mating bite on her leg given to her by her by a john. She was glad life was better now for her and her mom. She never felt bad for stabbing that alpha in the neck. She hated that the bite meant she could never scent her true mate.

Claire sighed and walked over to Benjamin and sat down across from him. She was surprised that the moment she sat down, the omega seemed afraid. An arm crossed in front of his middle. His dominant hand was in front of him. His head was lowered to make himself appear not to be a threat. Claire ignored it and said slowly, “So, you’re new here and we have the same last name. I thought we should get to know each other.”

Ben glanced up at that and muttered, “Yeah, whatever. Who are your parents?”

Claire shrugged, “My mother is Amelia Milton. My father is Lucifer Novak. I never knew my alpha father. He’s a loser according to my mother.”

Ben’s eyes widened and Claire had no idea what that was about. He quickly gathered up his lunch tray and said in a rush. “Please stay away from me.”

Claire eyed him and said firmly, “Why? Because I don’t have my alpha dad to protect me from the world?” Claire followed Ben to the trash bin while she waited for a response.

Ben slammed the tray down and sounded frustrated, “Look, I am not from a free state. Talking to alpha freaks me out, okay? I was taught never to talk to alphas without the permission of my alpha father or uncle. I hate living in a free state. People are weird and I don’t appreciate you flirting with me or whatever it is you’re doing. I don’t want to get to know you. I just want to go to a school where I don’t have to kneel and where the school doesn’t call my dad if I don’t keep my eyes low enough. Just… Please just leave me alone.”

Claire nodded because she could respect that. She turned and walked away from Ben. She walked down the halls of the school while she thought about different things. She knew Ben was the son of her mother’s true mate or at least her mom thought they were true mates. Claire wasn’t completely convinced of her mother’s intentions. It just seemed too easy for her father to be Lucifer Novak and her mom’s true mate to be Castiel Novak. Claire slipped into the library and decided to do some research.

Claire sat down at a computer and hacked into a government database which told her everything she wanted to know about everyone. The first thing she found out was her father, Lucifer Novak, had been in prison since before she was born. Claire had no idea how he was her father. It’s not like they let inmates out to knot omegas. She tucked that away to ask her mother later. She then clicked on the link for siblings of Lucifer Novak and she stopped cold. Castiel Novak was his brother which meant if her mom wasn’t lying to her Ben was her cousin.

She did some more searching and found that of all the Novak children, she was the only alpha and Lucifer had no other recorded children. All of Michael’s children were betas. Gabriel had no children and Castiel had an omega. Claire closed out of the database and went to the state website to request a DNA test from an inmate. She knew it was a long shot but she had to know if her mom lied to her about her father.

Claire forged her mother’s signature and mailed off the paperwork on her way home from school. As she walked home from school, she saw a brightly colored car drive by with Ben sitting in the passenger seat laughing. She knew the driver wasn’t Castiel. She felt jealously curl in her stomach because if they were really cousins, it wasn’t fair that Ben had his uncles to protect him while she had no one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask my GMAT. It was a clusterfuck. It was pouring rain so I started off soaked. The lady at the testing center didn't want to let me wear my glasses. After arguing with them, they let me wear my glasses. Then they fucked up my computer so I started late (to the point where they had to call IT and the IT guy was humming and talking in the testing room while other people were trying to test). Then I was late coming back from break because the lady at the security checkpoint (the only security checkpoint) had to take a personal call. Yes, that took away time I had to do my test and it didn't sound like an emergency call. Someone sitting by me was angry typing for over an hour while sighing dramatically. Then they interrupted everyone's timed test to advise that the campus is closing due to weather (the rain turned into ice) and to ask if we wanted to stop. Then we were told we had to be done by a certain time because the campus was closing. 
> 
> As you might imagine my score was shit. I will try again at the end of March. At a different testing center.


	9. Chapter 9

Crowley picked up a photograph of his Kevin off the mantel. He growled at the alpha behind him, “He was right there in front of you and you did nothing? You let Dumber get beat up by an omega in heat while you ran? You were supposed to kill him while I took care of Sam Winchester’s true mate. How hard could it have possibly been for you to sink your knife into him as well?”

The alpha fidgeted in front of him and stammered, “I was frightened. All I could smell was enraged omega. It was terrifying!”

Crowley sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood up and started pacing. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way his perfect plan could fall apart so quickly. Sure, he let Jessica slip through his fingers, but Castiel? How was it that not only did Walt miss the alpha’s heart, but he also got beat with a dildo? A used dildo from his understanding. This was an absolute embarrassment. Roy was so terrified of an omega in heat, he ran away. He didn’t even bother to finish the alpha off. Crowley hated Roy and Walt at the moment. He had a reason to run and miss his target. They did not.

Crowley shook his head and stared at Roy. God, Roy was an idiot. “Dean is most likely pregnant. Due to your ignorance, the child is most likely Sam Winchester’s. Do you know what won’t happen to Sam for the next nine months if Dean is pregnant with his child?”

Roy looked around like a frightened cat and Crowley just wanted to stab him in the face. He stammered out, “Ah, no.”

Crowley stepped forward and whispered in his ear as he tightened his hand around Roy’s throat. “Those panic attacks he has that make him a weak and pathetic excuse for an alpha won’t happen. His hormones will readjust to protect his child and that is only if we’re lucky. If we are unlucky, Sam Winchester’s demon spawn will continue to affect Sam’s hormones all the way until the child is mated and Sam won’t have panic attacks.”

Crowley released Roy’s throat and pushed the alpha back. Roy grabbed hold of his throat and coughed a few times. As he gasped for air he said, “What if we kill the omega?”

Crowley rolled his eyes and stepped away. “That would only incite Sam Winchester’s legal case further. I don’t want anyone fucking with Dean or Ben. I want Sam to have a breakdown so he loses the legal right to Kevin. Then I can go take my Kevin back.”

Roy gained his breath back and asked, “Boss, I mean no disrespect but why is this omega worth all the trouble? There are plenty of younger and more fertile omegas out there. Why waste your time with Kevin?”

Crowley pulled out a knife and swiftly turned around to bury it in Roy’s heart. He watched, uncaring, as life started to leave Roy’s eyes. “Kevin has my alpha daughter.” Crowley stepped back from Roy’s lifeless body and yelled down the hall, “Someone clean this mess up.”

++

Castiel pulled back the bandage on his side to look at his stitches. The drain tube came out before he left the hospital which he was grateful for. Castiel was also glad Gabriel and Sammy were there to help him. He knew he had to apologize to Ben for having to witness both the attack and Dean’s heat. It was just his inner alpha wouldn’t let his offspring leave. He also knew he was in no condition to protect Sam, Dean, and Ben so Gabriel had to stay.

Castiel felt weak because of the stabbing and his inability to protect Dean. Failure would not even begin to explain how he felt. He was an embarrassment to alphas. His in heat omega subdued an attacker with a dirty dildo. In what universe, does that actually happen? His apparently. At least that part didn’t make the news.

He felt even weaker when he had to lay in his hospital bed and watch and listen as Sam fucked Dean. Every knotting tore something inside of him. Dean latched onto Sam like he wasn’t even there. His omega called Sam perfect, more times than he dared to count. Dean did notice him for brief moments, but somehow those moments didn’t seem like enough. He wished he could hold and comfort Dean, but it was just so cold in that hospital room. While Dean had a cooling mattress, Castiel had a heated blanket on his bed.

Now, Dean was left to take care of the house. It was Dean and Gabriel that saw the workers through the house for the installation of new windows and security doors. The panic room would be installed later. Bobby was coming to help Dean custom build it. Dean didn’t need his help on building a panic room which hurt Castiel a little.

The only person that seemed to need him was Sam. His little alpha was understandably exhausted and chafed on his privates. He let Sam sleep in his bed so he would have someone near while he rested. As soon as Sam’s face hit the pillow, he was asleep. Sam was going on twelve hours without so much as waking up to pee. Castiel felt around Sam’s waist to make sure he wasn’t wet. He wasn’t but he knew he would have to wake Sam soon for food.

Gently, Castiel shook Sam’s shoulder until he woke up. Sam grumbled a little and put a pillow over his head. Castiel smiled at his little alpha as he gently pulled away Sam's pillow. He ran a hand through Sam’s sleep mused hair, “Sammy, you need to get up to use the restroom and eat. After we do that, you can go back to sleep if you want. How does that sound?”

Sam flipped over on the bed slowly and blinked his eyes in an attempt to wake up. Castiel knew that Sam would likely need more rest, but Sam also had to take care of himself. After about five minutes, Sam did get up out of bed and pad over to the en-suite bathroom. Castiel excused himself from the room while Sam washed up. His side was still sore and ached a little, but he felt confident that he would be fine. He had to be fine.

Castiel found Dean in the kitchen making sandwiches. He ambled over to the counter and asked kindly, “Have you fed Ben?”

Dean glanced up and shrugged, “Gabriel and Ben are eating in his room. He is sulking about the new baby. I think Gabe is trying to cheer him up.”

Castiel rolled his eyes as he shook his head gently, “We don’t even know for sure if you’re pregnant yet and there is no way another child could possibly replace Ben.”

Dean chuckled as he picked up a plate loaded with sandwiches and another with vegetables. Castiel knew that Dean must be up to something to willingly serve vegetables. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he sat down at the table and let Dean set the plate in front of him. He watched as Dean filled a couple glasses with water and sat them down. That was when Castiel noticed Sam was missing.

Castiel sighed and apologized, “I’m sorry, Dean. I will be right back. Let me go check on Sammy.”

Dean grumbled, “Whatever, can I feed myself?”

Castiel quirked a smile. It made him happy when Dean sassed him. He stood up slowly and glared at Dean so Dean wouldn’t know his amusement. He said shortly, “No, you choke when you try to feed yourself because you take too big of bites.” He didn’t wait for Dean’s pouting. Instead, he went in search of his little alpha.

He found Sam in the bathroom sitting on the toilet. Sam’s head rested against the wall and he was sound asleep with his panties and pajama pants around his ankles. Castiel allowed Sam to wear a hoody and pajama pants to bed because he was cold from spending so much time on Dean’s cooling bed at the hospital. It pained Castiel to see Sam have so much trouble getting warm.

Gently Castiel ran a hand up and down Sam’s arm as he spoke quietly, “Sammy? Are you okay?”

Sam blinked open his eyes and seemed to come back to himself. He yawned as he pulled some toilet paper off the roll to wipe, “Sorry Alpha. I’ll be right out.”

Castiel stepped back to give Sam some space. He said firmly, “I am going to step out so you can finish. Please go lay back down. I can feed you in bed. I don’t think you have the energy to kneel at the table.”

Sam’s eyes started to slip closed as he spoke and Castiel knew this was a losing battle. His little alpha has reached the point of exhaustion. Sam blinked at him again, “Yes Alpha.” Sam started to wipe clearly blind to him still being in the room. Sam was rather private about bodily functions. Dean wasn’t nearly as private. Castiel smiled as he remembered the time when he was out of town on business when Dean video chatted him from the bathroom. Castiel remembered scolding his big omega for inappropriate behavior.

Castiel stepped out of the room and backed into Dean. His omega had the decency to look sheepish. “Sorry man… I mean Alpha. I am starving.” Dean patted his belly and declared, “Baby wants food.”

Castiel rolled his eyes for the second time that day, “Dean, please bring the plates in here. You can feed yourself under my supervision. However, if you take one oversized bite, you are getting handfed for the rest of the meal. Is that understood?”

Dean grinned and gave him a fake salute before marching off. Castiel just shook his head as he turned back to Sam, who was once again sound asleep on the toilet. He could already tell it was going to be a long day and he hadn’t even talked to Ben yet.

++

Jessica sat alone in her studio apartment. She could hear her neighbors fighting next door. She hated it here. She wished she had someone to comfort her. Jessica wrapped her hoody tighter around herself as she thought about what the officer said to her after the strange alpha tried to stab her after he noticed she pushed her call button but he tripped over her mop bucket. She was able to run to security as the alpha ran away covered in dirty mop water.

The police told her to stay with her alpha of record and that wasn’t likely to happen. She glared at her prepaid phone with hate. She had spent half of her monthly budget to try to get ahold of Sam but had been met with limited success.

She did manage to talk to Gabriel once, but other than that no other attempt had gone through. Sam was ‘unavailable at the moment’ which Jessica found extremely infuriating. She could not for the life of her understand why her true mate wouldn’t even so much as a text to make sure wasn’t dead after the incident. Sometimes, she hated that she felt such a connection to him. Especially when it was clear his heart belonged to Castiel and Dean.

Sometimes, she wondered which one he loved more. Sam had always seemed a little obsequious to Castiel. Sam wasn’t that way with Dean though. Sam and Dean would banter and had a comfort around each other that she didn’t see between Sam and Castiel. Jessica remembered bantering with Sam during college. She remembered their awkward conversations. She remembered his love for her chocolate chip cookies. She remembered him trying a ton of different pie recipes out on her. It wasn’t until much later that she learned that Sam experimented with pies to make the perfect one for Dean, not her.

Dean. The very thought of him made her stomach sour. She knew Dean was likely pregnant with Sam’s child.

That was when a lightbulb went off in Jessica’s head.

Dean would most likely have to go to the treatment facility during his pregnancy. She could try for a job at the facility. It would be hard but she could try. That would force Sam to see her. It would force Dean to have to deal with seeing Sam’s true mate every single day of his pregnancy. God, she wanted to rub in Dean’s face what she had something with Sam that he could never have.

She didn’t want to admit to herself that she truly had nothing. That Sam would likely only give her a kind hello. She didn’t want to admit that she would have to watch her true mate have a child with someone else. She didn’t want to admit how that made her feel like she was burning alive from the inside out. Maybe Sam would call her back today, just to make sure she was okay.

Jessica nearly jumped out her self-pity when her cell phone rang. It read Sam across the screen. She answered it quickly, “Sam.”

She heard a deep chuckle on the other end of the line, “No, it is Dean. I realized that with my heat and Castiel getting stabbed, Sammy hasn’t had the chance to check on you. He’s like passed out in a little nest of blankets drooling right now.” Dean chuckled again, “God, I love that kid. Anyways, enough about us. Are you okay? I heard through my heat haze that you got threatened right before Cas got stabbed but you called for security?”

Jessica took the phone away from her ear to glare at it because how dare he. Jessica stopped that train of thought. She cleared her throat and said calmly, “Yes, I did. I am not sure what their plan was exactly. This weird alpha told that if I spilled my mop bucket on the electrical for the floor that he would make it so Sam would want me. He tried to stab me but failed. The police told me to stay with my alpha of record because of the threats but Sam hasn’t answered his phone.”

Dean was silent for a few moments. Then he said carefully, “I can ask Castiel if he is okay with you staying in the guest bedroom. I can also ask Gabriel and Charlie. Charlie’s an omega, but she works at the treatment hospital for knocked up and abused omegas. I can check with her to see if they have any openings. They have housing for staff. Gabriel, well you know Gabriel, he seems like a jackass but he’s actually a nice guy. He won’t hurt you.”

Jessica perked up at the mention of this Charlie. She said calmly, “Could you reach out to Charlie? That sounds like the best long-term solution.”

Dean sounded so caring it nearly hurt, “Of course, we’ve been friends forever. Is it okay if I give her your number?”

Jessica smiled a water stain on her ceiling, “Yes.”


	10. Chapter 10

Ben sat on the sofa across from his parents. His home had been turned into a bunker and Bobby, his unofficial uncle, would be here this weekend to build an actual bunker. Ben felt like his family turned into one of the doomsday preppers seemingly overnight. He just wanted to go back home where things made sense, where weirdos didn’t try to talk to him, where his Alpha Dad and Uncle Sammy could protect him against all the bad in the world. He wanted to go home so bad.

Ben’s head snapped up at the sound of his alpha dad clearing his throat. Alpha Dad smiled kindly at him and his voice was gentle, “Ben, I know you’re having a rough time here with all of the changes, but I promise it will get better for you. Moving here is the best solution for your future. It will give you more opportunities. It will give your omega dad more opportunities.”

Ben didn’t even try to hide his eye roll. He crossed his arms over his chest and muttered, “Yeah whatever, I will take that into consideration the next time something creepy happens here. I want to go back home where it is safe for me, for all of us. I don’t care that I don’t have rights there and that you and Uncle Sammy own me. It is better there.”

Omega Dad huffed out an irritated breath as Ben wrapped his arms tighter around himself. Omega Dad sounded concerned, “Ben, you’re almost grown, do you want to go to college or trade school?”

Ben squinted his eyes. He had thought about college plenty of times. When he was growing up, he wanted to be just like his Uncle Sammy and Uncle Sammy went to college. Moving to free state and even the prep classes for the entrance test for college made it real. What bothered Ben the most was if that real feeling was something good or bad. He didn’t know. The feelings hurt him sometimes. It made him feel like he was slowly drowning without an alpha to save him. Other times, he felt excited. He felt free for the first time in his life. He felt alive for moments in days of feeling lost inside.

More than any feeling though, Ben felt afraid and lonely. He felt this growing emptiness inside of him. No amount of comfort from his family seemed to fill that emptiness. It became clear to Ben, they all had their own lives. They all had their own demons. Perhaps, this was just what it felt like to realize that his parents weren’t invincible. Ben’s memory flashed to his alpha dad bleeding out on the hospital floor cradled in his Uncle Gabriel’s arms. Ben didn’t see life in his father’s eyes. He could hear his heart beating in his chest and in that moment, Ben feared what life would be like without him. As much as Ben thought his alpha dad could be a complete dick, he was still the anchor of the family.

Ben didn’t know how to answer the question of if he wanted to go to college. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. He wasn’t sure he wanted to worry about all the things omegas at his new high school worried about. Ben never worried about food or shelter. He never worried about being loved or hurt by his family. However, these omegas worried about these things. They drifted from shelter to shelter and from slum to slum with their omega parent while their alpha parent was long gone. They talked about working long hours after school and eating ten cent noodles.

Ben didn’t want that life for himself. He wanted an alpha that wouldn’t bail on him and Ben didn’t know how to make that happen. Ben glanced at his parents, he knew not every omega was as lucky as his omega dad or him. The stress of worrying about where his next meal came from or making sure he had a roof over his head wasn’t something he wanted to worry about. Sometimes, he wanted to stay home and be a house omega. However, he knew after he reached the end of breeding age, he would be discarded. If he was lucky, he would be given the chance to say goodbye to his children before he was put down. If he was unlucky, well, he didn’t really want to think about that.

Ben shrugged and dodged the question because he didn’t even know the answer for himself. “I am not sure. It’s complicated.”

Uncle Sammy always seemed to get him and today was no different. “Ben, it is okay to be uncertain. You are still young. We just want to make sure we are doing everything we can to make sure you have the future you want.”

Ben smiled at his Uncle Sammy then he looked away. He whispered, “I want to start looking for an alpha.”

Ben could tell immediately that his alpha dad didn’t like the idea. “I… Do you have someone in mind?”

Ben rolled his eyes again and stated like it was obvious, “Dad, there is not a single alpha at my high school capable of taking care of an omega, so no. I want help finding someone. I’m not sure what I want to do with my life. The concerns of omegas here are so different from back home. Back home, we used to talk about finding an alpha that wouldn’t beat us. Here, all the omegas talk about is how they want to find an alpha that will stick around after they have children. I… I didn’t know alphas abandoned their children, but I guess if you had omegas, it doesn’t really matter.”

Alpha Dad growled at him which caused Ben to shake his head. His dad said an admit, “You do matter.” Sometimes, he found his alpha dad’s protectiveness cute. Other times, he found it annoying, like right now.

Ben shot back at Alpha Dad, “Yeah, I noticed. We weren’t even here a year before the three of you decide to have another baby. When do you find out if Omega Dad is knocked up?” He was still bitter about the replacement. The omegas at his school said he was being salty. Ben had no idea what meant. The slang here was so different. Back home, they had slang for different levels of beatings and types of alphas. Here, they had slang for everything.

Omega Dad answered slowly, “Tomorrow. If I am pregnant, we won’t know how many for about another month.”

Ben closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face, “Given the amount of life scarring stuff I saw in the hospital, I am placing my bets on triplets.”

Uncle Sammy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “Sorry, you had to see that Ben. Do you want to go to work with me sometime to see what I do?”

Ben shrugged to act cool. The idea of going to work with Uncle Sammy sounded awesome. His uncle was some sort of superhero. “Yeah, I would like that. Can I go to work with Uncle Gabe? He does marketing or something, right?”

Alpha Dad sighed and shook his head, “Sort of, Gabe does porn. I don’t think he acts anymore but he does work behind the scenes. I am not really sure. I stay out of that.” He paused and added, “About finding an alpha, what do you want out of a mate?”

Ben thought for a moment. He knew the answer to that one, “I want someone like you and Uncle Sammy, especially Uncle Sammy. I always felt like that even if something happened between you and Omega Dad that Uncle Sammy would still own us. He wouldn’t get rid of us or whatever. I want someone like that. Someone that will never give up on me regardless of how annoying or how old I am. I want someone to love me and take care of me even when I can’t take care of myself anymore.”

Ben glanced at Uncle Sammy and he didn’t understand why his uncle’s eyes looked a little watery.

++  
Dean stared at the ceiling at the doctor’s office. Both Alpha and Sammy were with him. Alpha even put up with him freaking out about needles. After that IV from his heat, Dean wanted nothing to do with needles. They hurt. They poke. They were evil devices created by Satan. Dean just wanted good news and to avoid any further needles.  

Soon enough the doctor entered the room, Dr. Richardson was a kind doctor. A little weird for an omega, but Dean liked her well enough so long as she didn’t talk about her dog. He really hated dogs. Dr. Richardson smiled kindly at him and asked, “Who do you have with you today?”

Dean grinned back and gestured to Alpha, “This is Castiel.” Then he gestured to Sam, “And this is Sammy. They are the mates I told you about. Sammy is my brother and Castiel bought me.”

Alpha sighed and Dean snickered. It was fun to mess with him sometimes. Dr. Richardson didn’t make a comment on either descriptor of his mates. Instead, she went right into it, “I am sure you want to know the results.”

Dean nodded and grabbed hold of Alpha’s hand while he held his breath.

Carefully Dr. Richardson said, “You’re pregnant. In about four weeks, we will have an ultrasound to determine the health of the baby and if there are multiples. I have a list of foods to avoid as well as activities. I am going to give you a prescription for some vitamins as well.”

Sam sighed in relief and said calmly, “Thank you, doctor. Is there any risk to Dean that we should be concerned about?”

Dr. Richardson shook her head, “It is important to monitor Dean’s mood and Dean this is something you can do as well. If you notice that someone is irritating you then address it with your mates. It could be a sign of an imbalance and we may need to get you to the treatment center. I do recommend the three of you share a bed.”

Alpha squeezed Dean’s hand and asked, “May I ask why? Sam and Dean have their own room. We do not always share a bed. I feel it is important for them to have their own space and bed.”

Dr. Richardson’s face softened. “It is about bonding. There is some new research that suggests pregnancy easier in cases such as yours if the omega is exposed to the scent of both of his or her alphas at during slumber. It may not prevent Dean from needing the treatment facility but it is worth a try.”

Dean scowled and looked away. The last thing he wanted was to be snuggled in between two alphas that had a cuddle-fest every single day. It sounded horrible. Dean rubbed his tummy absently. He hoped his baby or babies would make all that cuddling worth it. His hand paused when he realized something.

He could be pregnant with an alpha. Sam was clingy and sticky as a child. Dean felt horror overtake him when he thought about two sticky children hanging off of him. He could get gum in his hair. Juice on his favorite shirt. He could have someone plastered to him. How would he ever get work done? Dean felt himself start to hyperventilate.

This could not be happening. Dean Winchester doesn’t cuddle. That was a weird alpha thing, not an omega thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my amazing readers, 
> 
> I am off vacation, so that is the reason why this update took so long. My job is slowly killing my soul. However, my goal is to try to write a couple chapters a week. I feel better about life instead of the stupidity that is my job. I work in property management and it's a fucking nightmare. I'm still torn on what is worse to deal with cheap homeowners or asshole tenants. Tenants won this week. 
> 
> We hired an older lady at the office and she is cranky. She's done property management for 20 years or something. I can see myself becoming just like her if I don't get out of this business. Yes, I am job hunting for something, not soul-killing, but the job market sucks. 
> 
> So anyway, thanks for reading. Your comments/kudos brighten my day.


	11. Chapter 11

A puppet poked its head around the edge of the door after Sam knocked. The puppet smiled at him while Sam double checked the address on the business card. As he stared at the business card, he heard the puppet say, “Are you, Sam?”

Sam glanced at the puppet then back to the card, Dean had to be playing a joke on him. It made anger simmer inside of him because he didn’t want to go to therapy and he was only doing this for Dean. He didn’t understand why his brother would prank him. They both knew that this was important to Alpha. Sam really wasn’t sure if it was important to him, he just didn’t want to disappoint Alpha.

Sam shook his head and muttered, “Yes, but I have to go. I didn’t realize Dean was playing a joke on me.”

The door opened to reveal an omega from the treatment center Dean was at when he was pregnant. The man was older, but Sam recognized him as the man that helped him with a panic attack when he visited Dean. This confused and hurt Sam more, because why would they both mock him? The man lowered the puppet and said kindly, “I see you don’t like Mr. Fizzles. Dean never cared much for him either. Please come in.”

Reluctantly, Sam entered the office. It was set up like your standard therapy room. It had bookshelves, comfy looking chairs, and a sofa. The thing that looked creepy was all the puppets. There had to hundreds of puppets lining the walls. There were toys on the floor and an entire basket of well-used puppets. Sam wasn’t sure what to make of that. He sat down awkwardly on the sofa and asked, “What is with the puppets?”

The doctor grinned and shrugged, “Some people find it easier to talk through a puppet. It is sort of like the puppet is telling their story and releasing their pain. We can try it sometime if you would like.”

Sam shook his head no and stared at the floor. He was going to kill Dean for this. No, he was going to tell Alpha about this and let Alpha find him a different therapist.

The doctor cleared his throat. “So, Sam, I am Dr. Garth Fitzgerald. You can call me Garth. Dean agreed that I could disclose that I was his therapist when he was pregnant with Ben.” Garth grinned widely again, “Ben is such an adorable kid. Anyways, I still work part-time at the center, but I do work outside of the center. I mostly work with children and alphas like yourself.”

Sam nodded slowly. He wasn’t sure what Garth meant by alphas like him. He was freak of nature, surely, there weren’t others like him. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

Garth smiled, “Dean told me that you don’t feel like you should be an alpha. Do you feel comfortable telling me about that?”

Sam didn’t feel comfortable talking about it, but the sooner he got cleared as not crazy, the sooner he could have the procedure. “Yeah sure, I just never fit in as an alpha. I have panic attacks. My dad called me defective growing up and I honestly thought he was going to kill me when I presented. I couldn’t kill me when I was unpresented, it was illegal to do that. He found other ways to torture me though. Whenever Dean wasn’t home, he would…” Sam stopped speaking. The words dried up on his tongue. He couldn’t speak of what happened.

Garth seemed to pick up on that, “It’s okay, Sam. My understanding from Dean was your father was a drunk that failed to take care of his children.” Sam thought bitterly that Garth’s words were an understatement, but he didn’t dare speak them out loud. Garth tapped his fingers for a few moments before he asked, “How did Castiel react to you being an alpha?”

Sam glanced at Garth and then he looked away, “He was okay with it. He didn’t hurt me or anything like that. I was very upset about having a knot and he asked me to claim Dean. After that though, I would get punished if I displayed any alpha traits. It didn’t really bother me, I just focused on covering. On nights that Dean spent with Alpha, I would sit in our room on my laptop and research typical omega traits and I would mimic those. It was easier to learn things when Alpha and Dean weren’t there, I learned a lot at Stanford. I became good at every single stereotypical omega thing at Stanford.”

Garth looked genuinely interested, “Things like what?”

Sam shrugged, “Cooking, sewing, cleaning, knitting, painting, gardening, hair cutting.” Sam chuckled, “I butchered many doll’s hairs before I got the hang of it. I just wanted to know how to do everything right. Alpha and Dean were all I had and I just wanted to be the best omega I could be so they would want me.”

Garth nodded and asked, “Do you feel they would want you as an alpha?”

Sam shook his head no, “I don’t think so. Not even Dean likes it when I display alpha traits. I have gotten very good at hiding them but they hid just under the surface. I think that this surgery will help remove what is wrong and defective with me.”

Garth looked unconvinced. He stayed quiet for a moment which made Sam uneasy. Then he got up and gave Sam a blanket. Sam didn’t even notice that he had goosebumps from the cold air. He wrapped the blanket around himself carefully, as not to make a fool of himself. After he was situated Garth said, “You still get cold life alphas do. When you were at Stanford or when you’re away from Castiel and Dean, do you feel okay being an alpha?”

Sam thought about that for a few moments. He didn’t, not really. “No, I think someone is going to see that I am defective and start pointing or something. I worry about having a panic attack. I don’t worry about it as much anymore, but before the law changed I knew I would be locked away for the rest of my life. I knew if I was an omega or even a beta, I wouldn’t have to face that.”

Garth asked honestly, “Do you feel your desire not to be an alpha is because of the burdens society and your family has placed on you?”

Sam stared off into space and whispered, “I just want to be good for Alpha.”

++

Dean sat on a stool in the pantry at the house. The light was out and the door was closed. He had a pie and a bottle of root beer. This was his safe place that Sammy and Alpha didn’t know about. He shoveled a spoonful of pie into his mouth while he stared at the door. He could hear footsteps. The last thing he needed was for Alpha to find out what he was doing. He would get in trouble and Dean didn’t want to deal with that right now.

The door opened suddenly and the light flickered on. Dean had a mouth full of pie and a guilty look on his face as he stared into Ben’s eyes. His son’s eyes darted around the room in confusion before settling on him. Nervously Ben asked, “Dad, what are you doing in here?”

Dean swallowed his pie in one giant gulp. He licked his lips as he thought about Alpha lecturing him about bite size. Clearly, his alpha didn’t understand the best way to eat food was with giant bites combined with lots of moaning. He took a swig of his root beer before answering Ben. “Cravings and I am avoiding the alphas of the house.”

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose like Sam did when he was exhausted, “You know Alpha Dad is going to be pissed if he finds out you’re eating an entire pie.”

Dean shrugged. Some punishments were worth it. Pie was worth just about anything.

Ben looked unconvinced by the shrug, “Right, anyways. What type of pie are your eating?”

Dean glanced at the pie then back at Ben, “Sugar cream with pickles on top. It’s amazing.”

Ben made a puke face and sighed, “Okay that is gross. I am not even going to ask where you got the pie.”

Dean shoved a spoonful of the pie into his mouth and said around the pie, “At the pie shop where Alpha’s wannabe mate works. I wanted to size her up and see if I had to do a beat down. Then I got distracted by pie. I don’t remember if she was even there or not because of the pie.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed a little as he said slowly, “Alright. I am going to go get Alpha Dad. You’re acting weird.”

Dean stood up quickly while holding his pie. He pleaded with Ben, “No! He’ll want to cuddle. I can’t deal with all the cuddling. With the two of them together it is like I am wrapped around an octopus.”

Ben shook his head and turned off the light to the pantry. He started to close the door as he said, “Well, I guess you should have thought about that before you wanted another disappointment.”

Ben closed the door leaving Dean in the dark. He sat his pie down on the nearby shelf to rub a hand over his belly. He wasn’t showing yet, but he could swear he could feel his babies growing. Dean knew in his heart without the doctor telling him there was more than one. He smiled and whispered softly, “Don’t worry Little Octopus, you’re not a disappointment.”

Dean absently ran his hand over his belly in the dark until the pantry door swung open to reveal Alpha. He looked a little upset and maybe concerned, “Dean… Sweetheart, what are you doing in here?”

Dean paused his belly rubs and narrowed his eyes at Alpha. Alpha never called him Sweetheart. The only pet name he had was Big Omega. That was when it dawned on Dean that he could milk this pregnancy thing to get out of trouble. Okay, maybe not completely out of trouble, but not in as much trouble. He still had to figure out a way around the cuddling and now he had to find a new hiding spot, but he was delighted to be able to get away with stuff. Maybe he could even get Sammy to rub his feet. A foot rub sounded really nice right now.

++

Jessica sat her suitcase down on the single bed at the omega treatment center. She was given a job washing dishes in the kitchen and general cleaning. It didn’t pay great, but it came with the benefit of her own room. Her room was only six feet by eight feet with a small single bed with a grey blanket. The window was small at two feet by two feet, but it still gave the small space light. There was a simple wooden desk and chair in the room, a small dresser, and a closet that was so small her suitcase couldn’t even lay down.

However, it was still a home and more than she had at other points in her life. Jessica opened up her bag and pulled out a knit blanket. She held it up to her nose and took a deep sniff. Sam had given it to her when he dropped her off in California. He wanted to make sure she had a blanket. The best part about the blanket was it smelled like Sam and Sam made it. The colors on the blanket were a rainbow of different colors, but it blended together perfectly. Sam explained to her that he used his yarn scraps to make the blanket. Somehow, that made it a little more special.

Next, she pulled out a couple of framed photos of her children and sat them on the desk. Jessica knew she would likely never see her children again. She missed them and she feared for them. They were omegas like her. As much as she wanted to beg Sam to buy her children, she never once asked. They were young and fertile. She didn’t know if Sam could afford them. Jessica hoped that they would find a good alpha.

Jessica started to pull her clothing out of her bag to be put away when she heard a knock on the door. Jessica turned to see a smiling redhead. The redhead had on a Star Wars t-shirt and a huge grin. “You must be Jessica. Dean told me so much about you.”

Jessica went back to pulling out her clothes. She didn’t know how to feel about Dean. On one hand she hated him and on the other hand, she liked him for taking care of Sam and her. Jessica put on a fake smile, “Yeah, Dean was very kind to help me get this job.”

The redhead rolled her eyes, “You talk like this is a fancy gig.” Her mood was infectious and Jessica felt herself feeling lighter. “Anyways, I’m Charlie. This is the private rooms for staff. No visitors… blah… blah… blah. When you start your shift, there is a changing room and showers to get any scents off from the outside world.”

Jessica nodded because she had heard all of this already, “Thank you, Charlie.”

Charlie invited herself into the room and sat down on the desk chair, “So gossip, how did you manage to get Sam Winchester to remain your alpha of record? He’s only done that once before and that was for Kevin. Dean and Kevin became very close while he was here and I think Dean is the reason, Sam retained his ‘ownership’ of Kevin.”

Jessica paused from where she was unpacking. She didn’t know that there had been other omegas, Sam had helped. She didn’t know that Sam didn’t keep tabs on all of them. She clutched one of her shirts close to her chest as she whispered, “I’m his true mate.”

Charlie sounded awestruck, “Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to swear. Just holy shit. Castiel probably wants to drop you on another planet.”

Jessica smiled at that, “I don’t think I am Castiel’s favorite person. I have always felt that Castiel was a controlling knothead.”

Charlie scoffed, “Na, he’s not that bad. Trust me, I have seen worse. He’s not a saint by any means but it could be so much worse.”

Jessica sat her shirt down on the bed and said distantly, “I knew Sam was my true mate since I met him at college. I never told him until recently and I don’t think he believes me. I mated an asshole that lived where Sam lived, just to be near him. I never saw him the entire time I was mated to that man. When I finally did see him again, I felt like something had been stolen from me. I couldn’t scent that he was my mate anymore. One bite stole that perfect and peaceful scent from me.”

Charlie hummed, “You know, I know someone that is doing trials to remove mating bites. Maybe we could talk to him. I don’t think we can convince Sam to remove Castiel’s mating bite or convince Dean to remove Sam’s mating bite on him, but it might help you feel complete.”

Jessica smiled and shook her head no, “As appealing as that sounds, I wonder if it would be better just to accept that Sam will never want to be my mate and perhaps if the Gods will it, we can be together in our afterlife or maybe another life.”

Charlie sighed, “Well, that is morbid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and all that. Your comments and kudos brighten my day.


	12. Chapter 12

Ben felt hot and itchy and miserable. The only thing that made him feel better was popsicles. Grape was his favorite followed by cherry. The lime and orange flavored ones he could do without. Luckily, Uncle Sammy felt sorry for him and always kept him well stocked with grape and cherry popsicles.

Popsicles were amazing because they cooled his throat and his insides. It also took his mind off the fact he had to wear an adult diaper for his heat. It wasn’t called an adult diaper. It was a heat pad made for ‘comfortable heats.’ Ben was almost one hundred percent sure the idea of a comfortable heat was bullshit and no he didn’t care about language. Heats always sucked and made him want to cut off his own butt.

During his first heat, he daydreamed about Mr. Layfette, the principal at the omega school, which was traumatizing for him when his heat ended. Mr. Layfette was old. He talked funny and on bad days he wandered around the school with a strap. There was also the rumor that he drank virgin omega blood, but Ben was pretty sure that was something someone made up to scare the younger omegas.

During his second heat, he daydreamed about his Uncle Sammy. That was more disturbing. Uncle Sammy was like his dad. Actually, he considered his Uncle Sammy one of his dads, he just never called him dad. However, during his heat, his mind had absolutely no issues calling Uncle Sammy, dad. Ben was pretty sure that when he kept moaning out ‘dad’ during that heat it caused his Alpha Dad to think he was fantasizing about him. As he recalled, Alpha Dad ended up staying at a motel while Uncle Sammy and Omega Dad stayed home to make sure he was okay.

This was his third heat and his mind had two fantasies playing in his head. One, fantasy was of Uncle Gabriel. Ben had found old videos of Uncle Gabriel from when he did porn. When he wasn’t in heat, he thought that was the grossest stuff he had ever seen. However, in heat, Ben thought it was hot and he wanted his uncle. His other fantasy was of an alpha that he’d never met before. The alpha was on the small side. He looked sort of like a cross between Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Michael. In Ben’s fantasy, he called him Alphie.

Ben really liked his made-up alpha.

Ben closed his eyes and grabbed one of his favorite toys off his nightstand. Uncle Gabriel got him much better toys and Ben was grateful. Just as he was about to shimmy out of his pants and diaper, he heard the doorbell ring.

Ben grumbled and threw his favorite toy across the room. He stomped over to the front door and swung it open. That was when three things happened.

One, he realized it was really a stupid idea to answer the front door to a stranger while in heat.

Two, Uncle Michael stood on the front porch with his fantasy alpha.

Three, his fantasy alpha was his true mate.

++

Samandriel stared at the omega in front of him. Perfect. The omega was perfect and his cousin. Samandriel closed his eyes and took a step back. He couldn’t force himself on any omega and especially not his cousin. When Samandriel opened his eyes again he smelled protectiveness from another alpha. Samandriel could see his grandfather in this alpha.

The alpha sharply ordered, but not with his alpha voice, “Ben, go to your room and lock the door.”

The omega, the perfect omega, obediently walked away and it took everything in Samandriel not to follow him. He wanted this omega, but he also knew that wasn’t what they were here for.

Michael, his grandfather, piped up, “Castiel, it is good to see you. I would like you to meet my grandson, Samandriel. It seems one of my betas was not completely useless and breed alphas.”

Castiel glanced at him and Samandriel found himself looking away. He had seen that judgmental look numerous times before. Ever since his blood test came back, his life had been Hell. He couldn’t just be a normal child. No, he had to learn how to be an alpha. He learned how to fight and control. He learned how to be cruel to omegas and treat betas as lesser than him and in truth, Samandriel hated every moment of it.

Samandriel had two reasons for agreeing to go to California with his grandfather. One was he wanted to meet the famed civil rights lawyer Sam Winchester. Samandriel envied Mr. Winchester and he wanted to meet his secret idol. He wanted to have the strength that Mr. Winchester had. He wanted to create change. He wanted to do something with his life instead of being nothing but a small minded alpha.

The other reason was he just turned eighteen. He packed everything important in his backpack and intended to make a break for it. Samandriel wasn’t sure if either of his great uncles that lived in California would help him and he wasn’t counting on the help. He had already figured out where the shelters were and wrote down the phone numbers for the local churches that said they could help someone like him. Samandriel knew this was his chance.

Castiel sounded bored and his voice was like gravel, “I highly doubt your children and grandchildren are useless.” He turned towards Samandriel, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Samandriel.” Then Castiel turned back to Michael, “What do you want?”

Michael sighed dramatically, “I wanted to talk to Sam about a matter pertaining to our dear brother Lucifer. I received troubling news and I need his help.”

Castiel squinted at both of them before nodding in agreement. “Fine. However, I must ask that you both do not wander past our dining room. My son is in heat and Dean is pregnant. I do not want either of you to upset them with your beliefs about omegas.”

Samandriel found himself frowning and he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I would never hurt an omega. I… I am not like that.”

His grandfather rolled his eyes, “Alphie, Castiel here spoils his bitches. He educated them. He dresses them. He lets them have opinions. He simply doesn’t want us to knot his bitches or hit them.”

Samandriel felt his stomach roll. He remembered when he was sixteen and first popped his knot. His grandfather bought him an omega and tried to force them. Her cries still haunted Samandriel but he couldn’t and he wouldn’t rape her. Grandfather and his own father were furious that he wouldn’t hurt her so they beat them both. Samandriel stared off into the distance because he still has scars on his back from that beating. The omega… The omega didn’t survive the beating. He never even knew her name.  

Samandriel snapped at Michael, “Good, it will be nice to see omegas that are treated well.”

Michael growled and grabbed hold of the back of his neck and growled in his ear, “You will do whatever it is I tell you to do. Do you understand?”

Samandriel growled back at his grandfather but before he could attack Castiel pulled them apart. Castiel sounded calm, “Samandriel, how old are you?”

Samandriel blinked a couple times, “I am eighteen.”

Castiel hummed and turned to Michael, “He’s an adult. You can’t tell him what to do and I won’t have you attacking people on my property. I do not wish to have my mates or child exposed to that.”

Michael bit back a growl and Samandriel wanted to laugh but he stopped himself, “Fine, can we discuss this matter with Sam?”

+++

Sam sat awkwardly at the dining room table with Alpha, Samandriel, and Michael. They had bought a new dining room set when they moved to California. This was the first time Sam had ever sat on one of the chairs. Sam glanced at his cushion that was stacked neatly in the corner of the room. He knew he would feel so much better kneeling.

Sam cast his gaze back down to the letter Michael brought over. Only for his concentration to be broken by Samandriel, “You’re timider than I thought.”

Sam barely managed not to stutter out, “What?”

Samandriel shrugged, “You’re timid. It’s like you’re afraid of us. I didn’t expect that from you. I imagined you to be much stronger.”

Sam caught Michael's eye roll and cringed when Michael said pointedly, “Alphie, Sam here is defective. He should be in a state home, but Sam had them shut down.”

Castiel growled which made Sam flinch, “Sam, go to our room. Dean is already there.”

Sam got up silently and left the room. He didn’t even realize he took the letter with him until he was safely sitting on his bed and hugging his teddy bear. He didn’t like being reminded of how he shouldn’t be an alpha. He knew it was wrong and that was why he wanted to change himself. He couldn’t change the world, but he could change the way he felt inside. He could take away all the parts of him that made people treat him like that.

++

Castiel was furious. He tried to keep his temper under control because the last thing he wanted to do was scare his mates or Ben, but he couldn’t. Sam was struggling so much and for Michael to come into the one place where Sam could escape the world and treat him like that was unacceptable. Castiel said firmly, “Michael, I think you should leave.”

Michael roared, “Lucifer has an alpha child. I need Sam to tell me what to do about it.”

Castiel had a lot of questions about how exactly Lucifer managed to have a child with being in prison but he reframed himself. Instead, he stated harshly, “You came in here for Sam’s help on that and do nothing but insult him? Sam is not going to help you. Get out of my home.”

Castiel was caught off guard when Samandriel spoke up, “I am sorry, my grandfather spoke that way to Sam and I am sorry if I caused him any distress.”

It wasn’t like alphas to apologize for anything. Castiel nodded slowly, “Thank you for your apology but please leave.”

Castiel watched as they left. Michael didn’t even look back but Samandriel did multiple times. Samandriel smelled compatible for Ben but there was no way he would consider a mate for Ben that wouldn’t treat him as an equal. Castiel closed the door and went in search of his mates.

++

Dean snuggled up to Sammy on Sam’s bed. He didn’t really want to but Sam liked to snuggle when he was upset and Dean wanted to make him feel better. He was also horny but now wasn’t the time for that. Dean plucked the letter out of Sam’s hand to read it.

_“Mr. Michael Novak,_

_This letter is to inform you of the alpha offspring of Lucifer Novak. It is believed that Lucifer Novak cultivated a relationship with an omega worker at Abilene Penitentiary. The omega number 11574, commonly known as Amelia Milton, escaped the penitentiary before the child was born._

_An inquiry letter signed by 11574 was sent to confirm the paternity of Lucifer Novak to the minor alpha child. It has been confirmed that Claire Novak is the alpha daughter of Lucifer Novak. Our current data advised that she lives in southern California with 11574._

_Under Penal Code 51, the alpha children of all inmates shall have custody given to the eldest free alpha. Please see the attached documents to petition for custody of the minor child. If no request is received, the alpha child will be put into foster care.”_

Dean stopped reading because they couldn’t just take a child away from their mother, could they? No, that didn’t seem right. Dean glanced at Sam. He had to get Sam to help Amelia keep her child. Dean knew he had to find Amelia and Claire soon. Preferably before Michael did and he had to get Sam out of this funk. He needed Sammy’s help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter 3 times. I am still not completely happy with it, but hopefully, it is okay. It did help me feel better though after my shitty week. 
> 
> Neighbors were the vain of my existence in property management this week. As a general rule, homeowners don't like having rental property next to their house. Therefore, they will make our life a living Hell generally for no reason. 
> 
> FML


	13. Chapter 13

Dean rubbed his tummy absently at the doctor’s office. Things have been going well for him, sort of… Kind of… Actually, life had been a mess. After Michael’s visit, Sammy didn’t leave Alpha’s bed for a solid two days. Dean could swear his little brother was losing weight and a frown seemed to have become Sam’s default facial expression. Dean worried about Sammy, a lot. He worried that if he had to go inpatient for the pregnancy that Sam would do something stupid like get his junk cut off or worse, curl up in a ball and die.

Dean gazed off into the distance while he thought about that. He wondered what sort of dreams and ambitions Sam has in life. He wondered what Sam wanted to accomplish and what he wanted to see. Dean decided that he would talk to Alpha about having a Sammy week each year. One week where Sam could do what he wanted with or without them. Maybe it would break Sam out of his shell a little.

Dean nearly jumped when Alpha commented, “You’re thinking awfully hard there, Dean.”

Dean smiled shyly at Alpha and then Sam, “Just thinking about doing something special for my Sammy.”

Sam chuckled softly, but it was a nervous chuckle. “Well, that something special will have to wait. Claire Novak’s case is taking up a lot of my time.”

Dean shrugged and asked, “What is the gig with that?”

Sam sighed dramatically, “Not a lot really, I filed an injunction to keep her in California. She’s in a group home right now. My goal since she is nearly an adult is to get her emancipated. She’s not being terribly cooperative and she keeps beating up other alphas at the group home.”

Alpha muttered, “So it appears she is truly Lucifer’s child.”

Dean squinted at Alpha. He knew that Alpha was less than pleased with everything involving Claire Novak and Amelia Milton. Amelia Milton turned out to be the same Amelia that thought Alpha was her true mate. Alpha forbid Sam from helping Amelia as a result, Amelia was in the process of being sent back to Kansas. She was too old to work at the prison and Dean had a pretty good idea what would happen to her.

She would die and Dean was pretty sure that Alpha didn’t care. Dean found that both hot and terrifying. Hot because in theory, Alpha sent his true mate to her death for him. That would be some hardcore romantic novel shit that he would totally never read. (Those books were Sam’s, not his, no matter what Sam had to say about it.) It was also terrifying because Amelia was a person. She had a child and a job. Now, she faced death and her only crime was her sub-gender. It terrified Dean because that could be him.

Dean knew there was no guarantee that Sammy and Alpha would be here to protect him and Ben. Someone could take them away from this life in a moment. Dean rubbed his belly again because perhaps it would be better to die without them.

Dean jumped a little when Dr. Richardson came in. The doctor smiled kindly at him. She waved the ultrasound results in her hand and said cheerfully, “Triplets.”

Dean felt his heart rate pick up and the room felt like it was caving in on him. Triplets… Three tiny humans inside of him. He couldn’t do it. He looked like a beached whale with one baby, but three. He wouldn’t be able to see his feet for months. Hell, he doubted he’d be able to even get up… And he would waddle. Dean Winchester doesn’t waddle. He couldn’t do it. Nope, someone else would have to carry the triplets.

Alpha gently touched his mating bite and Dean felt himself start to calm down a little, but not entirely until Sam touched his mating bite. The touch of both of his alphas centered him in a way he couldn’t explain, yet made him grateful for mating bonds. Alpha’s voice was just as gentle as his touch, “Are you okay, Dean?”

Dean shook his head no because he wasn’t okay. He was pretty far from okay. He stammered out, “I can’t. Can you transfer the fetuses to someone else?”

Alpha sighed. It wasn’t a bored sigh or an exasperated sigh. It was close to the exasperated sigh, but not quite. This was the sigh of impending punishment and being told what to do. Dean hated being told what to do with every fiber of his being. “Dean, you and the fetuses will be fine. Sam and I will help you in any way we can.”

Dean ran his hands over his belly and asked, “What if you can’t be there?  I won’t have anyone.” He felt a tear slip down his face because he didn’t want to face this pregnancy alone. He didn’t want to face it in a treatment facility for crazy omegas. He wanted to be nestled in between Sammy and Alpha with a least an inch between them so they wouldn’t be cuddling.

Alpha kissed the side of his face and said firmly, “I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening and even if it does we are still here for you. Sammy and I love you more than you can imagine. We will visit you every single day and Ben can stay with you at the hospital if you would like. However, that is something we will have to work out with Ben.”

Dean leaned his head on Alpha’s chest. He knew Alpha was right. Everything would be okay. He asked the doctor, “What can you tell me about them?”

The doctor smiled and showed him a picture that looked like little beans. “You have two sacks. This means you will have one set of identical twins and one other.”

Dean ran his fingers over his little beans. Little Beans sounded so much better than Little Octopuses. Dean whispered out, “Do we have any way of knowing who the father is?”

The doctor shook her head and said solemnly, “Not until they are born.”

Dean glanced at Sam and grinned, “I bet at least one of these is yours.”

Sam leaned down to kiss his belly and whispered as he ran his hand over Dean’s belly. “Whether I am your father or your uncle, I will always love you.”

That shouldn’t have made Dean cry, but he found himself balling like a baby.

++

Sometimes, life takes difficult turns and turns that one never expected. Samandriel did not expect his grandfather to beat him relentlessly and drop his naked body in a parking lot. It was humiliating and he just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. He didn’t even have his belongings including the money he saved for his escape.

Samandriel stared at the ceiling of his room at the hospital. He had no idea how he would pay for this stay. He didn’t even know if they had clothes to give him before he left. The last thing he wanted was to walk out of a hospital in a sheet or a paper bag.

He nearly when he jumped out his skin when he heard a voice say, “Well, you look like you’ve seen better days.”

Samandriel sat up slightly on the bed and saw a grey-haired man with a lollipop in his mouth. The man was clearly an alpha and looked like an older version of the photos he’d seen of his great-uncle Gabriel. Samandriel asked shakily, “What do you want?”

The man entered the room slowly and took a seat in the single chair in the corner. After a few moments, he said, “I’m Gabriel Novak. Your great uncle. I read in the paper that Michael beat you senseless. I wanted to stop by to see if you were okay and what caused my dear brother to try to beat to death the only alpha heir to the family.”

Samandriel scuffed, “I am not the only alpha heir. Lucifer has a child.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, “The only legitimate heir then. Claire has no claim to the family.”

Samandriel picked at his blanket and looked away. He admitted, “I told Grandfather that I am not going back with him. I do not wish to treat omegas the way he does. They are no different than I am.”

Gabriel squinted at him and sounded surprised, “Really?”

Samandriel nodded slowly, “Yes really. Grandfather and Father tried to force mate me but I refused. This is not the first beating I received for not being a good alpha and I doubt it’ll be the last. I don’t know what I am going to do now though because I was dumped with nothing. Grandfather probably destroyed by belongings by now.”

Gabriel put the sucker back in his mouth and stared him down. It was a little unnerving but Samandriel tolerated it. “How about we make a deal. You can come stay with me for a while. I can help you get on your feet, find a job, clothes, and all that. In exchange, you’ll help me out around the house with some minor repairs and show me that you aren’t like Michael. I won’t tolerate you treating Dean or Ben like they are lesser.” Gabriel paused and added, “Or Sammy for that matter. It was a shit thing to tell him he’s timid. Sammy’s had a shit life. Whether or not your life was worse is probably debatable but he hasn’t had an easy time of it. He is considered defective but I better never hear you say that to his face.”

Samandriel closed his eyes and said sincerely, “I will apologize to Sammy. I didn’t mean to upset him. I just expected him to be the alpha of alphas and he’s not. He reminds me of myself when I am scared.”

Gabriel sighed, “Cassie did a number on him that is for sure, but that isn’t my story to tell.”

Samandriel slowly lifted up his casted arm to try to reach his water. He was surprised when Gabriel got up to help with the water. He sucked in the cool water through the straw, grateful he didn’t have to call the nurse. When Gabriel pulled the water cup away Samandriel whispered, “Thank you.” Samandriel leaned his head back against the pillow. He felt hope for the first time in a long time. Maybe once he got his life together, he could pursue his true mate.

Gabriel chuckled, “So you think you have a true mate, huh? Tell me.”

Samandriel sighed he didn’t mean to say that bit about his true mate out loud. With embarrassment, Samandriel said, “He’s Ben. He’s perfect. I never got the chance to speak to him because he was in heat but I want to prove myself to him.”

Gabriel muttered, “Fucking great.” He cleared his throat and stated, “Ben has been going on and on about meeting his true mate during his heat. We chalked it up to a fever dream. I can arrange for you to talk to Castiel about spending time with Ben. Castiel is a hard ass, but it isn’t just Cassie you will have to gain approval from. You’ll have to meet Dean’s approval.”

Samandriel nodded, “I will do whatever it takes.”

He meant that too. He would do whatever he had to do to prove himself to Ben. He had too.

++

Ben sat in the corner of the cafeteria as he tried to eat his apple while keeping an eye on everyone. The people here were so different from back home. They had bullies, but they weren’t like the bullies back home. They didn’t just tease a little, no here they got physical. They taunted until tears came then they humiliated and beat their target. Ben had not been successful in avoiding them.

The worst was a group of alphas. Ben wasn’t sure what their names were, but he referred to them as the knot straps. Ben hated them. They hadn’t done much but knock his books out of his hands and a few vulgar comments about his omega status. Lunch, as always, turned into an event. The knot straps walked over to his table.

Ben roughly swallowed his bite of apple while the leader snickered. He asked, “So Little Ben, the boys and I were wondering if your little hole is sore from your heat?”

Ben placed his apple on the table and said slowly, “I don’t see how that is any of your business.”

The leader, who smelled like ash, stepped forward and grabbed hold of his hair. Ben only had a moment of panic before his head was slammed into the table nose first. He heard a distinct crunch when his face hit the table and Ben knew his nose was broken when blood flooded his nasal cavity.

The knot straps laughed while Ben tried to get up but the leader held his face firmly on the table. Ben had no idea what to do. One of them jeered, “We should give the bitch a mating bite.”

Ben felt his heart stop. This could not be happening. He did the only thing he could think of doing, he screamed, “Help.” The lunchroom erupted in laughter at Ben’s cry and Ben felt his heart sink. He was screwed. He went lax on the table as tears flooded his eyes. He just wanted to go home and away from all of this.

Ben sobbed as he felt the leader’s breath on his neck, but the bite he expected never came. Instead, he smelled a furious alpha and the felt the leader’s hand get removed from his neck. Ben pulled his face away from the table to see what was going on.

Claire Novak had the leader pinned to the nearby wall. Somehow Claire pinned him high enough that his feet didn’t touch the ground and her eyes were completely red. Ben wrapped an arm around himself in fear. Alpha rages never ended well. Claire growled at the leader, “If you ever touch my cousin again if you ever come near my cousin again if I ever hear you speak my cousin’s name again, I will personally rip your knot off and make you eat it. Do you understand?”

One of the not so bright members of the knot strap piped up, “We’re not afraid of a girl!” Ben trembled as Claire applied pressure to the leader’s throat until he went limp. Ben shook violently as Claire turned around to face the idiot, she had a predatory walk to her but the idiot wasn’t intimidated. The idiot stepped forward to challenge and when he was within arm’s length, Claire reached out and easily slammed his head into the lunch table, knocking him out cold.

The rest of the members of the knot strap wised up and gathered their injured members to retreat. Ben backed away from Claire as she approached him. Slowly, her eyes turned back to blue. The same blue as his alpha dad’s eyes. Claire pulled out a wad of tissues and said, “Here.”

Ben took the tissues gratefully and pressed them to his nose. It hurt and he could feel it swelling. He muttered, “Thanks.”

Claire shrugged, “Hey, your uncle is the only thing keeping me from being shipped to Kansas and he is trying to get me out of foster care. It’s the least I could do. Besides, we really are cousins.”

Ben took a deep breath through his mouth but he could still taste the tang of blood. He said quietly, “Still, you didn’t have to do anything.”

Claire grinned, “You’re my favorite person to follow.”

Ben squinted at her, “What do you mean?”

Claire leaned forward and whispered, “I follow you, everywhere. I guess I just wanted to know more about you.” Claire laughed, “Books with your alpha father. Pie with your omega father. Coffee with one uncle and candy with the other uncle.”

Ben’s eyes went wide as he ran out of the cafeteria and to the office. He needed his dad or uncle. He didn’t care which uncle or which dad picked him up as long as someone picked him up right now from this crazy school. He was done. He was so completely done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy St. Patrick's Day. 
> 
> I really had a mellow week in property management. I only had one death threat so that is a win. 
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos.


	14. Chapter 14

Furious would probably be a good word to describe Castiel’s mood. He hadn’t been this angry since he got a phone call about Dean flirting with other students. Castiel shook his head because that seemed like a lifetime ago and the situation was different. Alphas bullied Ben and broke his son’s nose. Castiel’s hand shook with anger as he opened the door to the school, only for his pregnant omega to rush past him to the office. It was probably better for Dean to do the talking right now, anyway.

Dean asked in a rush, “Where is my son, Ben Novak?”

The receptionist popped her gum and slowly put down her magazine. She sounded bored, “I need to see some ID.” Somehow, Castiel managed to have his ID on the desk before she could even finish speaking. The receptionist shrugged and hit a buzzer. “He is in the room on the second door to the right.”

Castiel said nothing as he walked over to the door and opened it. Sitting on an exam table in the middle of the room was Ben. He had a blood-soaked towel covering part of his face. His clothes were covered in blood. Castiel took a calming breath to get himself under control. He didn’t want Ben to think he was angry with him.

Ben’s voice was muffled from the towel, “I’m scared.”

That was all it took for Castiel to gather his omega son in his arms and cuddle him close. He didn’t care if blood got on his suit. He didn’t care at all. He wanted to make sure his son was okay. Gently, Castiel pulled the bloodied towel away from Ben’s face to see the damage. It was bad. Ben’s nose was off center and looked flattened at the end. Castiel took a calming breath and looked at Sam, “Ben needs a hospital. Can you drive?”

Dean piped up, “I can drive Baby.”

Castiel kissed the top of Ben’s head as he moved the towel back to Ben’s nose to catch the blood. He managed to stay calm, “I know you can, Dean.” He didn’t want to argue this with Dean. Not when Ben had to be in so much pain.

++

Ben woke up in a hospital bed, not that it was unexpected or anything. It was just the first time, he’d ever been in the hospital. The bleeding in his nose wouldn’t stop and he all sorts of things wrong with it that he didn’t understand. The only thing he did understand was that he needed surgery and Alpha Dad insisted on a plastic surgeon. Ben had not seen the damage to his face, but the police did take pictures and Uncle Sammy talked to the police about pressing assault charges in the hallway.

Ben reached his hand up to his face. It felt like his entire face was wrapped in gauze. He gently felt around and his head was wrapped in gauze. He felt something firm around his nose. It hurt a little, but not bad. He was about to probe further when he heard Uncle Sammy say calmly, “Ben stop.” He felt Uncle Sammy pull his hand down to his side.

Ben tried to focus on his uncle but he couldn’t smell a thing. Ben whispered out, “I can’t smell.”

Sam ran a hand through his hair and scratched his scalp. It felt nice and Ben tried to lean into the touch. Sam’s voice was gentle. “You have gauze or something up your nostrils. The doctor said three days then it can come out.”

Ben blinked slowly as he took in the room. He licked his lips and asked, “When can we go home?”

Sam smiled, “Tomorrow. You lost a lot of blood.”

Ben nodded slowly but it stopped when it made his face throb. “I want to go back home. I don’t want to live here anymore.”

++

Castiel stood in the doorway of Samandriel’s hospital room. As fate would have it, Ben and Samandriel were both admitted to the same hospital. Granted, they were in different sections. Ben was in the pediatric omega ward. Gabriel filled him in on everything and honestly, Castiel hated every single word.

He hated the very idea of true mates. He didn’t want to give validity to any of that nonsense. If it was true then he could have sent his true mate to her death. That seemed a little unforgivable.

He hated the very idea of mating within the family. Yes, he knew that made him a hypocrite since his omega and his little alpha were brothers. Castiel liked the idea of Sam and Dean having a child together. He thought it would help their bond, but more importantly, Castiel thought it might help Sam view himself as worthy.

He hated the very idea that Samandriel could be exactly like him. Castiel knew Samandriel could have the same ideas regarding omegas. Samandriel could treat Ben the way he once treated Sam and Dean. The mental image of Ben stripped of his clothing and kneeling on the floor nearly caused him to shake with rage. Ben didn’t deserve that.

He hated the very idea that Ben wanted to move away from a free state. This move had all been for Ben, but it hadn’t gone well. It was all for nothing.

Most of all, beyond anything else, Castiel hated the very idea that his little boy was old enough to find a mate. He feared the day Ben left home to move in with his new mate. Ben wouldn’t have the same struggles when he moved in with his mate as Sam and Dean did when they moved in with him or at least, Castiel hoped Ben didn’t have the same struggles.

Castiel took a deep breath and stepped into the room. He asked his nephew kindly, “How are you feeling?”

Samandriel blinked at him with groggy eyes, “I am doing okay. I hurt a little but the drugs are good.”

Castiel stepped a little further into the room and leaned against the wall. He noticed that Samandriel didn’t have any personal items. He decided not to comment on that. Instead, he asked, “How long are you in for?”

Samandriel tried to shrug and a little shakily, “Tomorrow, I think. I had some bleeding in my abdomen, but not enough to cut me open. If my bloodwork comes back good in the morning then I can leave. Uncle Gabriel said I can live with him for a while. He went home to get me some old clothes of his since I don’t have any.”

Castiel nodded slowly as he contemplated how to respond. He knew opening his home up to Samandriel was not an option, not with Samandriel and Ben pinning for each other. Dean might rip Samandriel’s knot off if the boys tried anything. He also wasn’t sure how Sam would react. Sam didn’t like houseguests.

Slowly Castiel said, “Gabriel will take good care of you. I understand you have an interest in my son.”

Samandriel’s eyes flickered to him for a moment before looking away, “Yes sir, I do. I don’t have anything to offer him. I don’t feel I can be a good mate for him until I have my own home and job. I want to be able to support him.”

Castiel shook his head and replied, “Those are good goals. Right now, is a good time to get to know Ben.  Ben was assaulted at his school today so he will be unable to scent for a few days. I want him to get to know you with a clear nose. You will always have either Gabriel, Dean, Sam, or me with you when you spend time with Ben.”

Samandriel scooted himself up on the bed slowly. Castiel didn’t help him. He let the young alpha struggle. When Samandriel was finally in position, it took him a moment to catch his breath. “Who hurt him?” Castiel could smell the concern on the alpha. That was a good sign.

Castiel replied simply, “A group of alpha bullies. Sam is working with the police to press charges. One of them wanted to force mate him which is completely unacceptable. Ben will not be going back to that school. That is not up for negotiation with him.”

Samandriel took a couple calming breaths before he gritted out, “Those alphas sound like scum.” Castiel couldn’t agree more with that assessment. Samandriel took a few more calming breaths before he managed, “Are you not going to allow Ben to get an education? My grandfather always said the less educated an omega the better. I always disagreed with that statement though.”

Castiel shook his head at Michael’s antics. “Once Ben is feeling better, we’ll sit down as a family and discuss options with Ben. There is omega only schools that he could attend or he could opt for homeschooling. Ben did voice a desire to go back to South Dakota. It’s not a free state but we didn’t have alpha gangs doing horrible things to omegas. Of course, omegas do not have the same freedom of movement and omegas go to separate schools.”

Samandriel relaxed a little on his bed and turned his head to look out the window. “If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

++

Gabriel hummed as he loaded up his pockets with candy from the vending machine. One great thing about hospitals, actually the only great thing about hospitals, was the vending machines. Rows and rows of sugary goodness. It was like Heaven surrounded by death and illness. Gabriel munched on a chocolate bar as he reached down to grab another one when he heard Little Stockholm say, “Do you really need all that sugar?”

Gabriel took a large bit, picked up his prized and turned to face Sam. He held out his latest candy bar to Sam offered, “Would you like it?”

Sam chuckled lightly as he shook his head no, “No that is quite alright. Alpha would not be pleased.”

Gabriel whispered, “He’s not here.”

Sam frowned a little. It looked almost like someone stole his puppy or something and for the millionth time in Gabriel’s life, he felt bad for Sam. It was just a candy bar. Two hundred and fifty extra calories that wouldn’t amount to anything for someone like Sam. In all of the years, Gabriel had known Sam, the alpha never had so much as a little pudge. While Sam wasn’t always muscular, he always had a flat stomach and muscle tone. Gabriel didn’t know if Castiel made Sam and Dean work out. He never asked and they never volunteered that information.

Gabriel supposed he wanted Sam to let loose and live a little. He asked, “Have you ever ate anything without my dear brother’s permission?”

Sam blinked at him a couple times and said slowly, “Yes, I’ve gone out to dinner without him before. It’s not something he likes though. It sounds bizarre but even when I travel I have meal plans laid out. I don’t eat outside of what we discussed often. I don’t like to disappoint him.”

Somehow talking with Sam made Gabriel’s candy bar taste like chalk. He couldn’t force himself to eat anymore. He changed the subject, “How is Ben?”

Sam smiled slightly, “I am not sure. He wants us to move back which Alpha might do. I think Dean wants to have the babies here where he’ll be treated better. It’s complicated. I know Ben is not going back to that school and I pressed charges against the alphas that attacked him today. The school has video and audio recording in the lunchroom. When I spoke with the DA, he thought he had enough evidence to pursue a charge of attempted sexual assault against the leader.”

Gabriel bristled a little. He did not like the reminder that Ben nearly got force mated at school while his classmates laughed. Gabriel asked, “Are you going to sue the school?”

Sam sighed, “Alpha hasn’t decided yet. We don’t need the money from a lawsuit so it would be for the principle of the thing. There were teachers in the lunchroom that did nothing.”

Gabriel shrugged, “Maybe the teacher didn’t hear anything.”

Sam muttered, “They tried to give Ben detention for running through the halls to the office with a broken nose.”

Gabriel winced. He did not miss public school. He really hoped Ben decided to homeschool. At least at home, Ben would be protected and safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a job offer at a different company this week and I turned it down. I've never turned down a job offer before (which might explain my string of shit jobs). It was actually a really empowering feeling.


	15. Chapter 15

Somehow, Ben did not foresee his first date with Samandriel to be at his Uncle Gabriel’s home. It wasn’t like he had a thing against his uncle. He actually liked his uncle almost as much as Uncle Sammy, not that he’d ever tell Uncle Gabe that. The last thing he wanted was for his candy supply to get cut off.

Samandriel looked terrible. His face was covered in bruises. His arms in casts and a leg in a brace. He didn’t look like much of an alpha. He looked weak and Ben wasn’t sure he liked that. Ben remembered vividly when Alpha Dad got stabbed. Ben couldn’t hear much but static at the time. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever envisioned Alpha Dad getting hurt. He never dreamed of him laying in a puddle of blood while his uncle begged him to stay alive.

That was the day Ben realized Alpha Dad wasn’t invincible. Today, the first time he met the man he was certain was his true mate, was the day he realized Samandriel wasn’t invincible. Perhaps it was better not to have a hero complex. It hurts when that complex fails in a pool of blood. Besides, it wasn’t like he was invincible either.

Ben breathed in deep through his mouth and muttered, “I must look like a mess.”

Samandriel smiled as much as his swollen face would allow. “You look beautiful.”

Ben rolled his eyes. He doubted he looked beautiful. His face was still bandaged. He looked like he had two black eyes and Ben wasn’t entirely sure what his hair was doing. He hadn’t been able to wash his hair with all the bandages on his face. It was greasy and had the look of bedhead. Ben also thought that if he could smell right now it would smell like a hospital. Ben hated hospitals and he hoped he’d never have the displeasure of having to be in one ever again.

Ben walked over to Samandriel slowly and sat down next to the alpha. He smiled as much as he could without his face hurting. It probably looked like he had to poop or something, but Ben didn’t care. He just wanted to impress Samandriel. Ben whispered, “I doubt I am very pretty right now.”

Samandriel frowned a little, “You are. Your beauty comes from your soul. It isn’t something someone else can take away from you.”

Ben didn’t know what to say to that. He thought about the words and he didn’t understand. He protested, “I think when my face got bashed in and a plastic surgeon had to fix it that my beauty was lacking.”

Samandriel had an indescribable look on his face. Ben thought for a moment he said something wrong. It would be typical of him to say something stupid. Samandriel explained, “I think you’re confusing lust with beauty. Plenty of people lust after people they find attractive, but that doesn’t speak to that person’s beauty. Beauty comes from the inside. A flawless shell cannot hide a rotten inside. However, a shattered shell can hide the most beautiful things. Have you ever watched elderly couples?”

Ben blinked a couple times. He never really had occasion to be around old people. He never met any of his grandparents. The closest he ever came was when he visited his maternal grandmother’s grave once. He didn’t really feel a connection besides what could have been. His omega dad was the only one that told stories about her. Uncle Sammy never spoke of her because he didn’t remember her. His maternal grandfather died alone with hatred in his heart for Uncle Sammy. His paternal grandmother and grandfather were too good to be seen in the presence of an omega. It hurt a little know that he was so much of a disappointment that not even his grandparents wanted to meet him.

The closest thing he had to experience with the elderly was his parents. Alpha Dad was pretty old. Gray hairs were starting to frame his face and he could have sworn he saw a gray hair on Uncle Sammy the other day. Ben replied, “My parents are pretty old, but I haven’t been around elderly people. I’m not from a free state. I wasn’t permitted to be around many people.”

Samandriel smiled slightly, “Ask your alpha dad some time, who he thinks the most beautiful person in the world is.”

Ben rolled his eyes because he already knew that answer. “He’ll say Uncle Sammy and Omega Dad. It’s what he always says. However, Omega Dad thinks Alpha Dad is more handsome than Uncle Sammy…. Uncle Sammy has never said who he thinks he more beautiful. He always says he loves my parents very much. They’re weird though.”

Samandriel laughed lightly. “I am sure they aren’t that bad. They seemed kind when I have talked to them.”

Ben pouted a little. His parents were weird. Really weird. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Samandriel agreed, “I am sure I don’t, but in time, I will.”

Ben turned and glanced towards the kitchen where Uncle Sammy and Omega Dad were cooking and playfully arguing over something he couldn’t make out. He turned his attention back to Samandriel. He said a silent prayer that they would sit at the table and not at Alpha Dad’s feet during dinner just this once.

++

Gabriel helped Samandriel sit down at the table. The movement hurt a lot and he would have much rather stayed where he was but he didn’t say a word about that. These people were so different from the rest of his family. He could hear Sam and Dean’s banter from the kitchen while they prepared the plates and cooked. Samandriel knew that his grandfather would have taken out the strap if any of the omegas bantered. Omegas were meant to be silent and Samandriel hated that.

Their eyes always looked so dead like their soul was sucked out and replaced with an empty shell. In reality, Samandriel knew that the omegas he grew up died a long time ago. Their death wasn’t physical but it was mental. Samandriel remembered mourning the physical death of one omega. It was the omega intended for him. The one his own father murdered. She still had a soul when her like was cruelly cut short. The others and there were many, Samandriel felt relief. Their suffering was over. No one could hurt them anymore. Death gave them something life never could. Death gave them peace and safety.

Samandriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath to rid himself of those memories. When he opened his eyes, a plate had been sat in front of him. Because of his leg, he got seated at the end of the table. Gabriel and Ben were on either side of him. Castiel sat at the other end of the table. Sam and Dean weren’t seated at the table. It took him a moment to realize they were kneeling at Castiel’s feet.

Samandriel closed his eyes again because Grandfather never allowed his omegas to sit at the table. Samandriel knew that rationally it would make sense for Castiel and his grandfather to share some of the same beliefs. It was just, he didn’t want this one. He always wanted Ben to sit at the table with him, as his equal.

Samandriel was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t even notice Ben cutting up his food for him. He only noticed when Ben held out a bite for him to take. Samandriel took it because he couldn’t easily feed himself with his arms in casts. His eyes locked with Ben’s as he lips closed around the fork. The chicken with a little bit of mashed potatoes was amazing.

Suddenly, Samandriel understood the intimacy of hand feeding. He just never expected to feel closer to someone merely because he fed him. However, Samandriel didn’t see that as a bad thing. Samandriel ate without complaint and half listened to the conversation Gabriel and Castiel had. Once he had his fill he said, “Thank you, Ben. You didn’t have to do that.”

Ben shrugged, “Of course I did. You can’t feed yourself. It’s okay though. My omega dad can’t feed himself either. Did you know he tried to eat an entire dinner roll in one bite once?”

Samandriel cracked a smile when he heard a sharp, “Benjamin,” from under the table.

It gave Samandriel hope that maybe the hand feeding was a good thing.

++  


Dean laid in the middle of alpha’s bed as he watched his mates putter around. He whined, “You know it is cruel to leave me. I’m pregnant.”

Alpha stopped packing his day bag and said slowly, “Dean, we will only be gone a day. We will be back late tonight. We are merely packing an overnight bag in case our flight gets canceled. I offered to take you with us but you refused because flying is unnatural.” Alpha had the nerve to use air quotes around flying is unnatural which for the record flying is unnatural.

Dean threw a pillow at Alpha and grumbled. “Yeah well, someone has to be responsible.”

Alpha paused his packing and when over and lightly kissed Dean’s belly. It made butterflies swirl inside of him and it made him want to get laid even though he already went around with both Sammy and Alpha. He wanted more. Alpha didn’t give him more than a kiss though, “Dean, thank you for looking after our children. Sam and I are meeting with a doctor to discuss things. It will be fine, I promise.”

Dean grumbled because he was pregnant and could get away with grumbling, “But Sam’s not even done with therapy, yet.”

Alpha smiled, “Yes, I know. His therapist recommended that I meet the doctor willing to do Sam’s surgery. She thinks it will help Sam and I both fully understand what is involved and thereby allowing me to help Sam more.”

Dean ran his hands over his belly and snapped, “Well, he better come back fully intact. I need that knot in my life.”

Alpha rolled his eyes and stated, “We agreed to wait until after the babies are born, remember? Nothing has changed in regards to that. He will come back the same as he is now. However, I hope you’ll miss your brother for more than his knot.”

Dean narrowed his eyes and pouted, “But it is one of his best qualities.”

Alpha kissed him gently on the lips. “Maybe I should try it out then.”

Dean thought his eyes just bugged out of his head. Alpha couldn’t be serious. Dean glanced at Sam and saw that he had dropped his travel back. Probably from the shock of what Alpha said. Dean knew that convincing Alpha to bottom took time. Dean never imagined that Alpha would suddenly want Sam to top him.

All Dean knew was he wanted to watch. He blurted out, “Can I watch?”

Alpha sighed, “No Dean. Sam isn’t sure therefore I think to offer him privacy would be for the best. I don’t want him to feel pressured to perform.”

Dean sighed, “Whatever. I don’t pressure anyone.” He paused and added, “So are the two of you going to knot me again? I’m horny and you two caused this.”


	16. Chapter 16

“Alpha? Can I ask you a question?”

Castiel sat the magazine he was pretending to read in the waiting room of the doctor’s office on his lap. The whole office didn’t feel right to him and honestly, what Sam wanted didn’t feel right to him. He’d known for years that Sam wanted to get a vasectomy. His little alpha didn’t want to get accidentally get Dean pregnant. Castiel worried sometimes that Sam agreed to impregnate Dean because it was what Dean wanted but not what he actually wanted. It was hard sometimes to ask the right questions to know Sam’s limits. Sometimes, usually at the worst of times, Sam was very good at hiding his emotions and feelings. Castiel blamed himself for that.

He cleared his throat softly and looked Sam in the eyes, “Of course, Sam.” For some reason, Castiel really hoped that Sam would ask to go home and forget this whole thing.

That wasn’t what Sam asked though, “Why did you buy me?”

Castiel opened his mouth and closed it a few times. His voice was a little shaky when he replied, “What do you mean? I bought both you and Dean at the same time.”

Sam sighed, “I know. I was there but I wasn’t for sale. Only Dean was for sale. Why did you ask for me? You were only there to buy Dean.”

Somehow, Castiel doubted Sam would like the truth of the situation. “I wasn’t sure about buying your brother when I walked into that motel room. However, I liked what I saw and then I saw you. Dean… He had some tells even when he was in that horrible position. I knew he was protective of you. I liked that and you were cute. I thought that by starting your training early, you would be a better omega.” Castiel smiled, “And then you turned out to be my little alpha.”

Sam sucked in a deep breath, “You saved my life.”

Castiel shook his head and gave Sam’s knee a gentle squeeze. “I would have chosen you even if you were the only boy in that motel room. You mean the world to me.”

Sam crossed his arms and stated, “I don’t understand why.”

Castiel closed his eyes because he didn’t know how to get Sam to see his own worth. He leaned over and kissed Sam’s cheek, “Well, you’re smart, loyal, and kind for starters. You fulfill needs for me that Dean would rather not. You give me the touch that I need to be level-headed. Our debates keep my mind active. Your love for me and our family isn’t comparable. Ben loves you probably more than he loves either Dean or me. You make my world complete.”

Sam whispered, “So if I wasn’t around anymore…”

“That would be like the sun suddenly falling out of the sky.”

 

++  


Castiel had so many questions once he finally met the doctor Sam found if one could even call the man a doctor. He seemed much more like a quack to him. Castiel didn’t like the man touching Sam or even talking to Sam for that matter. He simply gave Castiel the creeps.

He sighed loudly, “Please treat Sam with respect.”

Dr. Benton squinted at him and flung his arms out as he declared, “I am. He’s meant to be an omega. Removing the parts of him that make him an alpha is for the best. It will help him in his service to you.”

Castiel rested his elbows on his legs as he rubbed his temples. This trip was a disaster and it was definitely a good thing Dean wasn’t here. Castiel wasn’t sure he could stop Dean from hitting this doctor. On top of that, he wasn’t sure he would do anything to stop Dean. God, this doctor deserved it too. Castiel cleared his throat and spoke carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Sam. “This has been enlightening for me. I find your reasonings interesting and this is something I need to discuss with Sam more. I don’t feel that for Sam to be an omega, he needs something this drastic. I have a male omega in addition to Sam. I have never considered anything like this for either him or Sam.”

Dr. Benton huffed, “Well you should. It would benefit this other omega too. He would focus solely on your pleasure instead of his own. He would be more obedient and eager to please.”

Castiel sincerely doubted Dean would be any of those things. More likely, Dean would try to kill him in his sleep if he forced Dean to do something like this. However, what Dean would hypothetically do was not what had Castiel concerned. It wasn’t what he wanted. It had never been what he wanted. Even when he tried to live up to what an alpha should be, it wasn’t what he wanted or even considered.

He liked it when Sam and Dean felt good. He liked Dean’s reluctance to do things. He liked it when the boys bickered over chores while he pretended not to hear them. He liked it when they got so wrapped up in pleasuring each other that they almost forgot he was there. He didn’t want two mindless mates. He enjoyed his conversations with Sam about different things over dinner even though it bored Ben and Dean to tears. He enjoyed watching Dean work on cars. It was the twinkle in Dean’s eyes when a car turned out just right that warmed something inside of Castiel he didn’t know existed. He enjoyed the role reversal in the bedroom that he was exploring with Dean.

Castiel’s thoughts then turned to Ben and his three unborn children inside of Dean. What would their future be like? Would someone want to treat them like this doctor wanted to treat other people? Would they be so damaged that this seemed like an answer? Castiel wished he could pretend he didn’t know where he went wrong with Sam, but that would be a lie. He shuttered to think that someone could do that to Ben.

Sometimes, Castiel wondered if he broke Sam’s spirit. He felt his eyes sting as he remembered every single no and please stop that Sam said to him in a moment of desperation. Sam wanted mercy but it was never granted in the beginning. No amount of begging, pleading or words would help Sam.

This… This was the result of those actions. For the first time, Castiel truly viewed himself as a monster.

++

Dean glared at Samandriel or Alfie as Ben and Gabriel liked to call him. He didn’t like this alpha. He didn’t really have a solid reason for disliking the alpha. Well, he had reasons just not valid ones and Ben all but fawned over Samandriel. It was sickening really. Dean was eternally grateful he never acted like that with Alpha.

Samandriel did seem like a decent guy, probably, most likely. Dean didn’t know that much about him but Samandriel didn’t seem like a mate beater. Not that Samandriel could even beat off right now. Dean snickered at the thought that alpha couldn’t get his rocks off. That snicker quickly fell from his face when he thought of Ben helping Samandriel out. There was no way, Ben would ever be allowed to touch Samandriel there.

Okay, maybe after they mated (if they mated) then Ben could touch Samandriel there. However, that was at least ten years down the road… Maybe twenty years down the road. Dean sniffled as hormones overcame him. It wasn’t right that Ben was almost grown up. He wanted his little bug back. He wanted the sweet smiley little boy that played peacefully in his playpen until he saw Sam then he would squeal for Sam. Ben had always loved Sam, probably more than any of them.

Samandriel commented, “Dean? Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”

Dean chuckled because Samandriel could barely stand much less help him with anything. Dean sniffled again, “Yeah, I am good. I’m good. Just thinking about things. So how did you not end up like your grandfather? I’ve only been around Michael a handful of times and that man is a piece of work.”

Samandriel shook his head, “Grandfather was always hard on me. My father had an accident shortly after I was born. It left him unable to have any more children. Grandfather hated my father for that and he took out his disappointment on both of us. My first memory is of my grandfather beating me.”

Dean didn’t know what to say to that. His first memory was a good one. He remembered pressing a kiss to his mother’s belly while she was pregnant with Sammy and telling her that the baby in her tummy was his. Sometimes, Dean wondered what his mother thought of her sons. He wondered if they made her proud or if they brought her shame. He liked to think that he made her proud but somehow, he doubted it.

Samandriel continued despite Dean’s silence, “I tested as an alpha when I was seven. All of my cousins were either betas or omegas. I became my grandfather’s favorite. One would think that was a good thing but it wasn’t. He beat into me how I was supposed to behave but I just froze up whenever he hit me. I don’t know how to explain it. My fingers would get stiff and I would shake as fear blinded all of my senses. I couldn’t defend myself. I’ve never been able to defend myself. Grandfather hated me for that.

“I vowed to myself a long time that I would never be like him. Every single beating just made my reserve stronger not to be like him. No one should have to grow up like I did.”

Dean understood Samandriel for the first time and Samandriel’s story was painfully familiar. His dad treated Sam the same way and Sam had the same reaction Samandriel described. The difference between Sam and Samandriel was also painfully clear. Samandriel had been yelled at to get up whenever he was beaten. Samandriel had been pushed to be strong in the face of something beyond his control. Sam wasn’t. Sam was taught to cower. Sam was taught to submit. Dean supposed that was what made Sam timid as Samandriel called it.

Dean didn’t know what to say to Samandriel. He didn’t want to layout Sam’s personal business to Samandriel. He didn’t want to violate Sam’s privacy like that. The panic attacks were Sam’s story to tell. Finally, Dean found words, “It sounds like you’re having a panic attack. I’ve seen that before. There is the medication you can take or therapy might help.”

Samandriel looked away and whispered, “I am afraid that doesn’t make me much of a prospective alpha to your son.”

Dean shrugged, “Well, part of getting your shit together for me to approve of you mating my son, includes your mental health. So, if I were you, I would see about going to the doctor about that once you’re getting around a little better.”

Samandriel leaned his head back against his pillow and muttered, “And let the quacks hash it out.”

++

Castiel unfolded the paper given to him by Sam’s therapist two weeks ago. He never bothered to read it until now. He never wanted to admit to himself that perhaps he did something wrong. He didn’t want to admit that perhaps he hurt deeply someone he loved.

Castiel took a deep breath and read a sentence on the page.

_Early childhood sexual abuse can have lasting effects on adult alphas, betas, and omegas alike. This article is to help understand the trauma and treatment of a person who’s trauma results in self-harming behavior and mutilation of their sex organs. In extreme cases, the abuse survivor will seek to have their sex organs removed._

Castiel folded the paper closed and took another deep breath. He didn’t know if he could stomach reading all of this. He also had to face a possibility he didn’t like to think about much. The possibility that he wasn’t the first person to abuse Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, happy Friday the 13th! 
> 
> I am expecting today to be a clusterfuck.


	17. Chapter 17

Castiel sucked in a slow breath as he stared out the window of his bedroom. The flowers were starting to bloom. The birds chirped and flew around peacefully. Undoubtedly, it was a beautiful day, but the beauty was lost on him. Nothing truly looked beautiful at the moment. Even Dean’s growing pregnant belly didn’t look beautiful.

The world seemed muted to Castiel. It felt like a dullness took over the lands and clouded his mind. The world just seemed a little dimmer no matter how many lights he turned on. He couldn’t get himself to feel clean no matter how many showers he took. He couldn’t rid of the pain in his chest no matter what he did.

Castiel regretted so many things. He regretted everything he had done.

Castiel read the article from Sam’s therapist. That single article nearly broke him. He just loved Sam so much and to be responsible for all of the pain Sam felt inside tore him up inside. He wished they could start over and turn back time. He wished he could make Sam forget. He wished for so many things.

What finally broke Castiel was Sam’s words. Castiel had gone to a therapy session with Sam, at Sam’s request. He asked questions. Questions that should have never been asked or answered. Sam’s wavering voice still lingered in his head.

_“My dad touched me sometimes. When you started to touch me, I was afraid you wanted to do more like… I didn’t want it to go any further and I got punished for that.”_

_“Why does it matter what all my dad did? Are you going to punish me for not telling you?”_

_“He wanted me to be a good alpha. He told me it would help me grow up to be strong.”_

_“I always wanted someone to hold me when I was a kid. Dad and Dean weren’t the touchy-feely types. Dad touched me but he didn’t hold me. You were the first person that actually liked holding me. You didn’t look at me with disgust. Sometimes, I was willing to do almost anything just so you would hold me.”_

_“I never said you raped me. God, why does everyone think that? It is so annoying. I am pretty sure I would know if someone fucked me when I didn’t want it.”_

_“What does it matter if I felt like I had a choice or not? It’s not like you were holding me down and hurting me. I enjoyed it most of the time. You didn’t make sex scary or bad. It was just part of what was expected, like doing the dishes. Only sex is a little more fun than washing the dishes.”_

Castiel didn’t know what to do with himself. It wasn’t like he wasn’t warned this would happen. Gabriel told him countless times. Heck, Gabriel even wanted to take Sam before he presented but by that point, it was too late. Sometimes, Castiel wondered if Gabriel would have reframed from sex with Sam as he said he would. If Gabriel spoke the truth then Gabriel was a far better alpha than himself. He couldn’t help but feel like an utter failure.

He nearly jumped when he felt slightly chilled arms wrap around him and a head rested on his shoulder. A gentle and undeserving kiss was pressed to the side of his face as Sam asked, “What’s wrong, Alpha?”

Castiel laced his fingers in with Sam’s and lied, “It’s nothing, Sam. I just have a lot on my mind.”

Sam huffed an annoyed breath on his shoulder. His voice was barely a whisper, “You’ve treated me differently since I told you. That’s why I never wanted you or Dean to know. I don’t like it when people look at me like I am broken.”

Castiel felt his eyes get wet as a couple tears fell down his face. He squeezed Sam’s hand tightly as he spoke. “I’m sorry, Sam. I am sorry for everything. I… I am so sorry.” Castiel didn’t really know what else to say to Sam. He knew Sam shouldn’t worry about him.

Sam shushed him gently and held him tight, but it was all wrong. He should be comforting Sam, not the other way around. Sam gave him another undeserved kiss on the side of his neck, “You have nothing to be sorry for. I just don’t want to be treated differently.”

++

Dean eyed his three pies. Blueberry, cherry, and apple pie just for him. He was one happy omega. He had a pie for each of his babies. Dean dug into the cherry pie first. He moaned around the first bite. This pie was amazing. The cherries were sweet. The crust was flaky and it wasn’t filled with syrup.

Dean was a happy omega if he did say so himself. That was when he heard it, “Oh Sam.”

He put his fork down abruptly as jealousy curled in his stomach. Alpha and Sam were going at it. This was not right. They should be knotting him since they were responsible for his pregnancy. Dean shoved his fork and pie away and marched down the hallway. He was going to give those alphas a piece of his mind.

Dean grabbed the door handle only to find it locked. That pissed Dean off. Alpha never locked his door, ever. Not even when one of them had private time with him or if he just wanted time to himself. He never locked the door. Alpha had some reasoning about how he wanted them to be able to get in if it was an emergency or whatever. Dean found the whole thing to be bullshit.

He did what any well-mannered omega would do in this situation. He marched into the garage where a lot of his shop supplies were and found his lock pit set. It wasn’t like he picked locks and broke into places or anything freaky like that. Sometimes, the locks on the old cars weren’t the best and he had to pick them. Dean took the lock pick set back the bedroom door and picked the lock in about thirty seconds.

If he wasn’t so angry, he would have been proud of himself. Dean flung the door open expecting to see his mates screwing each other, only they weren’t screwing each other. They both had their clothes on. Even Sam had his clothes on which was pretty weird considering he was in Alpha’s bedroom and there was a rule about that. Sam should have been wearing only his panties but he wasn’t. That wasn’t the weirdest thing though. It was Alpha and Sam sitting on the floor by the window crying in each other’s arms.

Alphas… They didn’t make any sense to Dean. He absently rubbed his belly and hoped all three of his babies were omegas. At least then they wouldn’t be complicated like whatever this was.

Dean sighed and cleared his throat, “What is going on?” Alpha looked up first with tears rolling down his face and his eyes slightly swollen from crying. Dean groaned because they would want to cuddle later. Both alphas had a problem respecting the one-inch space rule. Sam peeked at him from Alpha’s chest. His little brother’s hair stuck to his face. Sam’s eyes were bloodshot from crying and the tears weren’t as strong with Sam as they were with Alpha.

Alpha cuddled Sam close and tried and failed to make his voice steady, “Sam and I were having a chat. Is there something you need, Dean?”

Dean rubbed his belly again as it gave a grumble for more pie. He was suddenly torn between figuring out whatever this was or eating his pies. Pie or chick flick moment… Pie or chick flick moment… Pie or chick flick moment.

Pie. Pie won. Dean shrugged, “No, sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to thank you for the pie. It’s awesome.”

Dean wandered away and didn’t bother to close the door. He plopped back down on the chair in the kitchen and started to devour his pie. It was important to get this done before Alpha found out about him eating three pies unsupervised. Alpha wouldn’t be happy, but it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

++

Ben stared at his face in the mirror. He got the bandages off his face earlier in the day. It accurately looked like someone slammed his face into a table. More importantly, though, his nose looked different. Granted, it was still swollen, but it still looked different. He didn’t like it because he didn’t see himself when he looked in the mirror. 

Ben grumbled, “This is bullshit.”

Uncle Gabe chimed in from another room, “Life is bullshit, Ben. Would you care to share with the class what has your panties in a twist?”

Ben grumbled all the way to where his uncle lounged on the couch. He gestured to his face and said angrily, “My nose looks different.”

Uncle Gabriel sat up and squinted at him for a moment and shrugged. “I don’t know. You still look an awful lot like my baby brother nose and all. I think it is just swollen.”

Ben sighed heavily and plopped down next to his uncle. He grumbled, “Whatever. Alfie is napping, my parents kicked me out of the house to have sex, and my face hurts. This sucks.”

Uncle Gabriel shrugged, “Have you seen your omega dad and Uncle Sammy?” Gabriel whistled, “I would want to tap that as often as I could.”

Ben made a fake gagging noise to show his disgust and shuttered, “I am now scarred for life. Thanks, Uncle Gabe.” He hated it when his uncle talked about sex. Actually, it was like hate situation with Gabe talking about sex. He liked it because he was completely clueless and it helped fill in the blanks a little for me. Ben was pretty sure, he would have no idea how to use a dildo for his first heat if it wasn’t for an inappropriate conversation with Uncle Gabriel. Ben was certain his omega dad thought he was magically supposed to know how tab a fits into tab b.

His uncle laughed. “You don’t know the half of it. Do you know how many pornos I wrote based on those two? At least two dozen. Sam was really fucking cute when he was your age, like really cute. Cassie probably worried about someone trying to kidnap that kid off the bus from school.”

Ben squinted at his uncle and repeated slowly, “You made porn based off of my parents?”

Gabriel shrugged, “Yes, bossy omega and submissive alpha porn is a hot seller because it is taboo. Sweet innocent alpha is a big seller too.”

Ben thought this whole conversation was TMI but he still asked, “I thought omegas weren’t allowed to be in pornographic movies.”

Gabriel chuckled, “They aren’t. I used betas in place of the omegas. That part was easy. Finding an alpha that was willing to be submissive and not look constipated was the hard part.”

Ben shrugged, “Huh. That’s weird and really gross.”

Gabriel chuckled lightly, “I think Alfie would be good at it actually and he could make good money.”

Ben felt anger flare inside of him and his eyes flashed gold for a moment as he growled out, “No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is going to be a jump in the timeline of a few months in the next chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

****

Dean couldn’t believe this. Actually, he could believe this he just didn’t want to admit it. His problem was simple really but absolutely mortifying.

He was stuck in bed. He’d tried rolling but he couldn’t get enough momentum or something to get up. His belly was in the way. At this point, Dean had no doubt his babies were actually the size of two-year-olds stuffed inside his tummy.  Dean huffed out a breath and yelled, “Sammy? Alpha?” God, he hoped they didn’t laugh at him.

If they did he decided he would punch them in the dick.

A couple moments after his cry for help, Ben appeared in the doorway covered in paint breathing heavily through his mouth. It seemed that breathing through his nose was still difficult for him but his appointment with the specialist wasn’t for another week. The only thing Ben didn’t seem to have a problem sniffing was Samandriel. Dean wasn’t sure about that alpha. Ben caught his breath and asked, “Alpha Dad sent me. He’s up on the ladder painting the ceiling and Uncle Sammy is holding it steady.”

Dean glared at his son for a moment before he came to his senses. He knew he shouldn’t take this situation out on Ben. His little bug had made it abundantly clear how he felt about the new additions. Ben didn’t want siblings and honestly, Dean couldn’t blame him. If the babies were alphas or even betas, they would have so much more opportunity than he did. Ben would have to try three times as hard as a beta and ten times as hard as an alpha for everything in life. Dean wished Ben wasn’t cursed like him.

Dean wiped his eyes when he realized he was crying. Hormones were still messing with him. Luckily, no one said anything. Well, they learned not to say anything. No one wanted to face the wrath of a pregnant omega or maybe it was just a pregnant Dean they didn’t want to face. Dean cleared his throat and muttered out, “I am stuck. Can you please go get your father or uncle so they can help me up?”

Ben rolled his eyes and stepped into the room. He snapped, “Just because I am an omega doesn’t mean I am worthless, but thanks for reminding me.” Ben reached his hands up and tugged at his hair in distress while he tried to steady his breathing. At this point, Dean was about ninety percent sure Ben was on his way to a breakdown. Everyone had moments, it was just right now wasn’t a good time and Dean hated chick flick moments. That was Sammy’s department.

Before Dean could say anything more, Ben stormed out of the room. He heard Ben yell, “Omega Dad is stuck and doesn’t want my help because I am a dumb bitch.” The sound of Ben slamming his bedroom door nearly shook the house and made Dean cringe. How much trouble Ben was in depended largely on which alpha came to rescue him.

If Sammy came to his aide that meant Alpha would pay a visit to Ben and Alpha would likely take that little outburst out of Ben’s ass. Then they would talk about behavior and feelings and all the shit Dean didn’t want to talk about.

If Alpha came to his aide that meant Sammy would pay a visit to Ben and Sammy would just talk and cuddle Ben. He would make Ben feel okay and take whatever harsh words Ben wanted to say. Dean remembered asking Sam once why he listened to Ben’s outbursts. Sam would tell him because Ben was hurting and just needed someone to listen. Then Sam would always smile big and declare that Ben was just like himself. Dean doubted that very seriously. Granted, he did have his moments when Alpha wasn’t home that he would go off about anything really and make Sam listen to it, but he did not remember being as angsty as Ben when he was a teenager. Of course, Dean knew he got laid on a regular basis at that age so it might have made a difference. That and Dean knew when he was Ben’s age, Alpha would beat his ass into next week for pulling shit like that.

In the end, it was both Alpha and Sammy that came to his aide. They gently eased him up while Sam stuffed pillows in behind him. Dean liked how they spoiled him. Once he was sitting, he looked between his mates and asked, “What are we going to do about Ben?”

Alpha sighed, “Ben should at least be given the chance to try to help you, Dean. I know he didn’t handle his feelings well and I will discuss that with him later along with his language. Ben should have enough strength to help you out of bed, even in your condition. He… He’s feeling left out.”

Dean rolled his eyes because he didn’t like how Alpha was putting this back on him. Dean grumbled, “Yeah well if I fell on him I could have squashed him.”

Alpha chuckled, “I doubt that very much. Why don’t you let Sam help you out of bed so you can use the restroom and check on the nursery?” Alpha paused and added sternly, “Then you will come back to bed. Bedrest means bedrest, Dean.”

Dean rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Yeah whatever, I can I at least have a TV in the bedroom? Books are getting old, man.”

Alpha’s eyes narrowed on him, “Books are getting, Alpha.”

Dean felt his heart stop for a minute then he apologized profusely, “Sorry Alpha. I’m sorry, Alpha. The books are getting old, Alpha.”

Alpha reached out and ran a hand through his hair then he leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. He whispered, “My good omega. I am sure Sam can grab your laptop so you can stream movies. Does that sound fair?”

Dean nodded slowly as a sense of calm settled over him, “Yes Alpha.” Usually, Alpha didn’t control him like this but the pregnancy changed things. After he got put on bedrest, which he promptly disregarded, things changed. Alpha let him ignore the doctor’s orders until he ended up in the hospital overnight with contractions. Luckily, the contractions stopped but the Alpha, who didn’t put up with shit, was back in full force after that.

Dean had no doubt that after the pregnancy was over and he was healed, they would go back to the way things were. Dean had heard Sam and Alpha talking about how the change was temporary. Sam rambled about how by Alpha taking control it made the pregnancy easier because of biology or some crap. Crap that was most likely written by egotistical alphas, but whatever, if it kept his buns in the oven he could deal.  

Dean hated to think that he needed to be taken care of but he couldn’t even get out of bed on his own. And Alpha asserting some dominance wasn’t so bad. It was a little hot and since he was knocked up, Alpha couldn’t spank him. However, Alpha did something worse than spank him when he got out of line, Alpha withheld pie.

Dean knew that after this, he was going to write a book or something on the dangers of withholding pie from omegas. It would be a best seller, Dean had no doubt.

++

Castiel knocked on Ben’s door once before entering the room. Much to Castiel’s surprise, Ben was curled up in the fetal position in the middle of his bed crying. As much as he wanted to reprimand his son, he knew that would have to wait. He laid down on Ben’s bed and pulled his son close. Gently Castiel wrapped his arms around Ben while he cried. It took a long time for Ben to calm down. Once he was Castiel asked, “Would you care to explain your little outburst?”

Ben shuttered and hid his face in his blankets. “No.”

Castiel rubbed a gentle hand up and down Ben’s back. Firmly he replied, “Let us try this again, would you like to explain to me what that little outburst was?”

Ben poked his head out from the blankets and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. “It’s stupid.”

Castiel kept up the gentle motion on Ben’s back as he countered softly, “I very much doubt that.”

Ben sighed and leaned into the touch a little more. It made Castiel wonder if maybe Samandriel wasn’t touching Ben enough or maybe Ben didn’t want Samandriel to touch him. Castiel wasn’t sure. He decided to talk to the other alpha about that later. Ben muttered, “Omega Dad is never going to want to move back home because of the babies. I just want to go home.”

Castiel knew Ben wanted to move back. It was something he had discussed with Sam and Dean. There were mixed opinions on it but overall the feeling was to let the relationship between Samandriel and Ben unfold to see what should be done. Castiel kept his voice soft, “I know you do, but Samandriel is here. You would leave him behind. Is that something you really want to do?”

Ben shrugged and admitted, “No. It’s just people are so mean here. I don’t feel safe. I don’t like the way people leer at me and Claire follows me around. Did you know that I saw her outside my school the other day? I told Alfie and he said he would take care of it. I don’t know what he did or what he can do. He works all the time.”

Castiel paused for a moment. He didn’t know Claire was following Ben. He asked, “What do you mean Claire follows you?”

Ben shrugged, “When she saved me in the cafeteria at my old school, she told me that I am her favorite person to follow. It creeped me out that was why I ran through the halls. She knows stuff about me too like where my room is in the house, where we live in general, my class schedule, everything really.”

This was the first Castiel had heard about any of this. He knew that he had to talk to Sam about how to handle this. If Ben really had an alpha stalker, it would be in Ben’s best interest to move forward with mating Samandriel in a non-free state. They could then have Ben’s ownership paperwork transferred to Samandriel and the consequences would be much more severe for Claire if she followed or otherwise harassed another alpha’s property. Castiel didn’t like to think of his son as property but the world wasn’t a fair place.

Castiel fought against instinct and kept himself from tightening his hold on Ben. He took a few deep breaths and said firmly, “I will discuss that with Sam. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had a stalker. I will make sure that you have an alpha with you in public from now on. Sam or I can pick you up and drop you off at school that way you’re not on the bus. Samandriel can as well as his schedule permits. Sam may know of something legally we can do to protect you. I think moving forward with mating might be the best option.”

Ben shuttered and whined a little which caused Castiel to become confused. His son whined, “I don’t want to have sex, yet. I don’t want to move out. Alfie is still living with Uncle Gabe and it sounds like that might be a few years arrangement. Alfie started college and he’s only working part-time in fast food. His job barely covers books.”

Castiel sighed, “We’ll figure something out, okay? I am not going to force you to mate. I just wanted to throw that out there as an option. Also, Alfie comes from a family with money. Gabriel or I can help the two of you get your own place.”

Ben sighed, “It’s not that so much. It’s… I feel safer when you’re around and I am afraid that after the babies are born you won’t be around to protect me anymore. It makes me so mad because I know those babies aren’t going to a stupid omega like me and you’ll forget about me.”

Castiel ruffled Ben’s hair lightly, “One, you’re my first born, I could never forget about you. I love you and triplets are not going to change that. Yes, I will be busy caring for them but I will always make time for you and do everything I can to make you feel safe. Two, you’re not a stupid omega. You’re at the top of your class and you tested in the ninety-fifth percentile. That’s not stupid. I’m honored and humbled to have you as my son. Third, at least one of your little brothers is probably going to be an omega like you. I think you’ll be a great role model for them. I think you’ll be able to show them how to be a strong and independent omega.”

Ben nodded his head slowly, “Sorry Dad.” The apology was sincere when Castiel appreciated.

Castiel closed his eyes and took another slow breath to center himself, “Apology accepted and Ben come to me next time so we can talk. You don’t have to carry all your problems alone. I’m your father. I am supposed to help you become a great person and I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what is going on in that head of yours.”

Ben perked up a little, “Great person? Not a great omega?”

Castiel smiled, “I don’t care that you’re an omega, Ben. You’re a person and you’re my son. I love you.”

Ben gave a small smile, “I love you too, Dad.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning and spoiler: Dean goes into labor early. The babies will need some extra care. Oh, and no one dies in this story.

Ben sat uncomfortably in the driver’s seat of his omega dad’s car. The only car they owned with a name, Baby. Ben thought it was weird. He vaguely remembered Uncle Sammy driving the car home after attending to some adult stuff. Ben didn’t know much about the car except Uncle Sammy and Omega Dad grew up in the car until Alpha Dad bought them.

He shifted in his seat and glanced at his omega dad. Nervously he said, “Dad, are you sure this is a good idea? You’re supposed to be on bedrest.”

Omega Dad grunted and countered, “Ben, I am fine. Sam and Alpha won’t be home for a couple hours. This is the perfect opportunity to teach you how to drive something that isn’t a piece of crap.”

Ben squinted at his dad and shrugged, “Whatever, as long as Alpha Dad doesn’t ground me or spank me for this, I don’t care.”

Omega Dad rubbed his giant belly and declared, “Okay, put Baby in reverse and keep your hand on the clutch.” Ben placed his right hand over the clutch after putting the car in reverse. He felt his dad’s hand cover his own. It was shaky going, but he managed to back the car out of the driveway. “Good job. Now take it out of reverse.”

Ben did and the car went about ten feet before stalling out. He started the car again and tried again… And again… And again. After about forty minutes, he could go about ten miles an hour around the neighborhood without breaking down. That was when he felt something wet touch his rear. He looked over at his dad and saw his crotch was wet and the seat was covered in fluid. Ben squeaked, “Did you pee on me?”

Omega Dad clutched his tummy and said fanatically, “No, my water broke.”   

Shit. Shit. Shit. There was no way Alpha Dad would not know about this driving lesson. Ben took a slow breath and slowly drove Baby the half mile home. He held out hope that he could get the car cleaned up before Alpha Dad and Uncle Sammy had to take Omega Dad to the hospital. Ben glanced at his dad and asked, “So, is Alpha Dad going to punish you for this?”

Omega Dad sighed, “Yes, shit Ben. I am supposed to be laying in bed right now. However, teaching you how to drive cars that aren’t douchey is important to me. Very important. No son of mine is going to drive a douche car.” He sighed again, “But the triplets were supposed to cook for a couple more weeks. I hope they are okay.”

++

Castiel gave himself a moment to calm down before he entered Dean’s hospital room. Words could not describe the amount of anger he felt towards Dean at the moment. He didn’t understand how Dean could be so reckless with their children’s lives. All of their children’s lives. Ben should not have been driving Baby. The car wasn’t up to current safety standards and it didn’t even have airbags. Ben could have been seriously hurt. Dean could have been seriously hurt.

After a couple more breaths, Castiel entered Dean’s hospital room. His omega was already hooked up to machines and the beeping echoed throughout the room. He wanted to gather Dean up and keep him safe from all of this, but he couldn’t. This was the safest place for Dean and that knowledge tore at Castiel.

Dean smiled at him and said tiredly, “The doctor should be in here in a minute. I am not dilated enough and they have monitors on the babies to make sure they are doing okay.”

Castiel stepped over to Dean’s bedside slowly and grabbed his hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he asked, “Did they say… Did they say if the babies are okay?”

Dean frowned a little and admitted, “I’m early but they didn’t say anything. This hospital has one of the best NICUs in the country so we should be okay.”

Before Dean could say anything more, the doctor entered the room. She brushed quickly over to Dean’s side and said calmly, “Hello again Mr. Novak and Mr. Winchester.” Castiel tore his eyes over to Sam for a moment who sat on Dean’s other side, carefully holding Dean’s other hand. Castiel had been so caught up in making sure Dean was okay, he didn’t even notice Sam which was foolish. Sam came to the hospital with him. Castiel took his eyes off Sam and focused on the doctor, “I think a c-section would be best for Dean and the babies. It would cause the least stress for them and we can get them evaluated quickly.”

Dean sighed dramatically, “Well then I guess you should cut me open then.”

Castiel rolled his eyes and said firmly, “Dean, this is serious. Are you sure you want to do that and not wait to see if they can come naturally? Your body was made for multiple births.”

Dean shrugged and said sheepishly, “No, I am good. I just want them here and alive. Besides, I want a badass scar like what you have.”

Castiel shook his head. Sometimes, Dean was hard to understand.

++

Sam felt a little flush in the delivery room. It wasn’t that he had an aversion to blood or anything. He just had an aversion to Dean’s blood and seeing someone cut into Dean’s belly nearly made him pass out. He placed his hand on his forehead as he took a deep breath. He couldn’t watch that.

Dean grumbled below him, “If you pass out on me, so help me, I will make your life a living Hell.”

Sam smiled at that and knelt down so he was face to face with Dean. He gently rubbed his mating bite on Dean and teased, “Oh, I doubt that. I think you will be very busy.”

Dean groaned, “Man, they said I would feel pressure. They didn’t say it would feel like they were taking my guts out.”

Castiel commented above him, “Actually, they did take some of your guts out.”

That was all it took for Sam to pass out on the delivery room floor.

++

Dean yelled as soon as Sam hit the ground, “You better get your ass up right now.” Alpha knelt down next to Sam and gave him a couple light taps on his face. That seemed to wake Sam up, much to Dean’s relief. He didn’t want to go through this birth without Sammy. Dean reached out his hand to Sam and said gently, “Hey, I’m okay. Get over here and touch my mating bite while we wait for the babies to be born. You don’t have to look at anything down there until later when everything is put back into place. I need to know if my scar is more badass than Alpha’s.”

Sam gingerly got up to his knees. He gave Dean a gentle kiss on the side of his face and ran his hand over the mating bite. “Sorry, Dean.” Dean wanted to roll his eyes, but he had a lot on his plate right now. His insides were on an operating table. Three tiny humans were about to be pulled out of him and Sam apparently passed out over all of that. Dean said a silent prayer to thank the Gods he was in a free state right now. Sam could still face consequences in a non-free state. They could question Sam’s ability to care for the children and take them away.

Dean was grateful, he didn’t have to worry about that. He smiled weakly at Sammy as he felt Alpha run a hand through his hair. “It’s okay, Sammy. Just don’t do that again.”

Sam nodded in agreement and they both heard the doctor say, “Here comes the first one.” Dean watched in awe as a little baby boy was held above the little surgical wall. His face lit up until he realized the baby wasn’t crying.

Dean felt his heart rate spike just as a loud wail echoed throughout the room. His breathing calmed as he half watched Alpha cut the cord for Baby A. Alpha stepped back over to him after Baby A was handed to a waiting nurse for evaluation and kissed him on the lips. “He’s beautiful.”

Alpha wiped a couple tears from his face as another baby was held up for him to see. Another little boy that looked exactly like the first one. Only this one let his presence known to the world immediately. He wailed and Dean could swear the baby gave him a death glare with closed eyes. Alpha cut the cord again and another gentle kiss was given to Dean’s lips. Alpha whispered, “I think he’s going to be like you.” Dean scoffed because he wasn’t that bad. He didn’t come out of the womb screaming and glaring like some devil spawn.

The third and final baby was held up moments later. Dean expected Baby C to be smaller. The baby had shown smaller in the ultrasounds, but hearing the doctor say it and seeing it was so much different. This baby’s skin was bright red and his eyes tightly closed. Alpha didn’t get a chance to cut the cord. The waiting nurse cut the cord and rushed the baby out of the room.

The world seemed to slow for Dean at that moment. His baby wasn’t okay that much was clear. He screamed out, “My baby. I want my baby.”

Alpha caressed his head and hushed him, “Dean, it’s okay. They are all alive. The last one just needs some extra care and he’s in the best place for that. It will be okay. Just breathe for me.” Dean took in a shaky breath as Alpha praised, “There is my good omega.” Alpha gave him a kiss on the forehead but Dean could see the tears in Alpha’s eyes as Alpha whispered, “It will be okay, Dean. I promise.”

++

Ben stared through the window of the NICU with Samandriel and Uncle Gabriel. Omega Dad, Alpha Dad, and Uncle Sammy were all in there crowded around little incubators. It was surreal for Ben. This whole thing as surreal. He never saw anyone look so fragile as his siblings right now. All he wanted to do was protect them from the world.

Two of the babies, Baby A and Baby B, were on oxygen. Alpha Dad and Omega Dad were each holding one, while Uncle Sammy lightly stroked the cheek of Baby C. This one couldn’t be held and had a ventilator breathing for him. He was smaller than the other two but somehow he looked stronger.

Ben touched his fingers to the glass and whispered, “Did I… Did I look like that?”

Uncle Gabriel chimed in, “Gods no, you were a healthy little shit and I do mean shit. You had a bias towards Sam and you took a shit the first time I held you.”

Ben rolled his eyes and jabbed his uncle in the arm.

Uncle Gabriel grabbed his arm and whined. “Not cool. I had to get like four shots today just so I can be around the triplets.”

Ben rolled his eyes again and stated, “Alpha Dad told you to get those shots over a month ago when the hospital gave us a list. Even Alfie had it done.”

Gabriel grumbled and rubbed his arm, “Needles Ben. No rational person wants to get stabbed repeatedly by needles.”

Ben shrugged and gazed back at the babies, “So when are my parents going to name them?”

Gabriel sighed, “They are waiting on the DNA tests to know who the daddy is. Should we make bets?”

Alfie spoke cautiously, “A and B are Castiel’s. C is Sam’s.”

Ben shook his head. He knew A and B were most likely the identical twins. He countered, “Nope, it is the other way around.”

Gabriel sighed in defeat and threw his hands up, “They are all Sam’s. Now, we just need someone to bet they are all Castiel’s.”

Ben smiled slightly as he hoped he was right and more importantly, he hoped everyone could come home soon. 


	20. Chapter 20

Dean crossed his arms and pouted from his hospital bed. This was completely unfair. He quipped at Alpha, “So let me get this straight. You expect me to not take pain medication so I can breastfeed the babies because it is better for them? What happened to all that bullshit about it being my choice?”

Alpha sighed loudly as Gabriel snickered in the corner of the room. If he wasn’t so pissed off right now, he would find something to throw at the little pipsqueak. Gabriel drove him nuts sometimes and Samandriel… That alpha’s eyes were as big as saucers. Dean was about ninety percent sure, Samandriel had never seen a disagreement like this. Ben and Sam looked particularly bored. Those two bastards probably already knew how this was going to go down.

Alpha snapped, “Do not call Ben and Sam bastards. That is completely uncalled for. Apologize to them so we can continue this conversation.”

Dean winced and wondered how much he said out loud. He glanced at Ben and saw a murderous look on his face. That was pretty bad. Then he looked at Sam who just looked like a kicked puppy. The two would probably cuddle later or some shit. Dean sincerely apologized, “I’m sorry Sammy and I’m sorry Ben. You’re not bastards or anything.”

Ben rolled his eyes and snuggled into Samandriel while Sam just stared at his feet. Dean knew at that moment it would take more for Sam to be accepting of his apology. He knew the bastard comment was a low blow for Sam. Ever since Sam had presented people wanted to know if they had a different biological father. They never tested to find out for sure and part of Dean didn’t really want to know.

Alpha cleared his throat from where he towered over the hospital bed. He sounded a little stressed and in need of a blow job or a nap, Dean wasn’t really sure. “Dean, I understand that you don’t want to breastfeed because ‘leaking nipples are creepy.’” Alpha used air quotes around leaking nipples are creepy and it took a fair amount of effort for Dean not to growl at him. Alpha continued, “But the triplets are not as healthy as Ben at birth. The NICU doctors tell me that the triplets, especially C, will have a better prognosis with breast milk. We can use donor milk but I don’t feel comfortable with that. I don’t want to expose our babies to any unnecessary risk when you are perfectly capable of doing this. You can even have pie every day and a burger every other day.”

Dean grumbled, “No.” Donor milk sounded just fine to him. Some other omega could put up with leaky nipples. Dean Winchester did not have leaking man boobs. That was unnatural and gross.

Alpha tried again, “Dean, please. I’ve read reports about donated milk. They don’t have a standard diet for the donors in free states or screening for diseases. We could harm our children.” Dean remembered something about that from omega school. He knew some businesses purchased the ugly omegas to produce milk for this sort of situation and sold it to hospitals and private individuals. Dean was glad he wasn’t an ugly omega. He wondered if the milk donor omegas had to moo while they pumped every day.

Alpha chided, “Dean! The omegas that donate milk do not moo. How could you even think something so degrading?”

Dean winced again. He needed to stop thinking this wasn’t going well.

Ben snapped from the corner of the room. “All an omega needs to produce milk is a shot, right?”

Dean locked his gaze with Ben at the same time Alpha did. Alpha said slowly, “I believe so, yes.”

Sam chimed in helpfully, “You have to be at least sixteen years of age and if you are under eighteen have parental consent. Why are you asking Ben?”

Ben sighed and stepped towards Alpha, “Then sign the release form for me to get the shot. It’s not that big of a deal and I accept the offer of pie every day and a burger every other day.”

Alpha looked away for a moment while Dean was left speechless. Did Ben not understand he would have heavy and uncomfortable man boobs? Did Ben not understand that he would leak and his shirt would stick to his nipples? Did Ben not understand that his siblings would be sucking on him like a leach?

When Alpha started to nod slowly, Dean knew Alpha had made a choice. “Okay Ben, I will sign the release. If you have any other food requests, please let one of us know. I will speak to the doctor about giving you the shot as soon as possible.”

Ben looked relieved and smiled slightly, “It’s not a big deal. I would want someone to do it for me and at least we know I don’t have any diseases or anything. I will be pumping only though. At school, they talked about how sometimes infants bite. I’m not putting up with that.”

Samandriel gave Ben a light squeeze. He sounded nauseatingly supportive, “I can look online to see what the best pump is. Grandfather pumped some of his omegas and it seemed uncomfortable. I want you to enjoy this experience.”

Gabriel snickered again, “They have guards and stuff for comfort. Michael is just an uncaring ass. I know a good brand. I use it in my work with lactating betas. I can go pick one up at the store tonight. The hospital should have one for Ben to use in the meantime.”

+++

Ben found the lactation shot weird. It stung a little then almost immediately he felt the change in his chest. It took a couple hours for the first milk to actually come out. The pump felt strange on his chest but it was a good strange. He felt useful and it seemed pretty easy. He didn’t produce a lot of milk but they divided it among the triplets and supplemented them with formula. Ben thought it was stupid that Omega Dad would not do this. Sure, it wasn’t comfortable but it wasn’t just about him.

Ben also had every intention of holding this over his little brother’s heads for the rest of their natural lives. He had no intention of telling his parents or uncles about his alternative motive, he knew they would figure it out about ten years too late. Except maybe Uncle Sammy, he was rather perceptive.

Ben pulled his shirt down as a nurse holding a clipboard walked into the room. She said cheerfully, “I have the results of the DNA tests.” Ben said a silent prayer for Uncle Gabriel to win the bet. The triplets would be so much better off if they weren’t cursed with being an omega like him.

Sam smiled nervously. Omega Dad looked like he was ready to have a stroke. Alpha Dad looked delighted. Uncle Gabriel looked really entertained for reasons Ben did not fully understand and Samandriel looked about as nervous as Uncle Sammy. Ben wondered if he could make the demand of stopping with the family drama since he was breastfeeding. He doubted it.

Alpha Dad had a calm and collected tone to his voice, but Ben wasn’t stupid. He knew Alpha Dad was pretty far from either calm or collected. “Please tell us the results then we can assign the triplets names.”

The nurse smiled and looked at her clipboard, “Baby A’s father is Sam Winchester. Do you have a name picked out?”

The nurse turned her attention to Uncle Sammy, who looked a little pale. Uncle Sammy stuttered out, “Yes, yes we do. Gadreel Samuel Winchester-Novak. Gadreel is spelled G-a-d-r-e-el and Samuel is S-a-m-u-e-l.”

The nurse wrote it down and smiled, “That is a nice name. Baby B’s father is also Sam Winchester. They are confirmed to be identical twins. Do you have a name for that baby?”

Sam let out a slow breath, as Ben waited for him to pass out or have a stroke. He was fairly confident one of the other would happen. “Yes, we do. Gary Dean Winchester-Novak. Gary is spelled G-a-r-y and Dean is spelled D-e-a-n.”

The nurse clicked her ink pen and grinned, “I like that one. It sounds tough.” Ben rolled his eyes. Gary Dean sounded like some old west cowboy that never rode a horse and thought he was cool but he really wasn’t. Ben didn’t even want to get started on what he thought about Gadreel. All he knew was the Biblical name was most likely Alpha Dad’s influence. Either Uncle Sammy or Omega Dad actually liked the name, Gary.

Omega Dad flirted with the nurse, “Thank you, sweetness.” Ben sighed and covered his face with his hands. Ben was pretty certain Alpha Dad would spank Omega Dad over the breastfeeding thing, but this? There was absolutely no way Omega Dad would escape punishment.

Alpha Dad’s voice was sharp, “Dean, please be respectful.” His voice softened, “I apologize, Dean is on some medication that is making his behavior questionable.”

Omega Dad grumbled, “Whatever, at least my nipples don’t leak.”

Ben decided at that moment he would ask to stay over at Uncle Gabriel’s for a few days while Omega Dad recovered. He knew Samandriel or Gabriel could take him to the hospital every day to drop off his milk. He just didn’t want to hear Alpha Dad’s wrath. He remembered growing up when Alpha Dad got really mad over something Omega Dad did, Uncle Sammy would take him out for ice cream and a movie. He always knew something happened behind closed doors. He just never knew what and he didn’t want to find out.

The nurse smiled sadly, “I will have the desk check his medication. He shouldn’t be this out of it. He made need something a little less powerful. Anyways, are you ready for Baby C?”

Alpha Dad nodded his head slowly, “Yes, of course.”

The nurse gave a sincerer smile, “The father of Baby C is Castiel Novak. Do you have a name picked out?”

Alpha Dad smiled again, “Yes, we do. Gabriel Castiel Winchester-Novak. Gabriel is spelled G-a-b-r-i-e-l and Castiel is spelled C-a-s-t-i-el.”

Uncle Gabriel feverously wiped his eyes as he asked, “You named him after me?”

Alpha Dad rolled his eyes, “Yes, you are my only decent sibling and you don’t have any heirs. It seemed fitting to give you the honor.”

Ben thought that made sense and was pretty cool. He felt a little more protective of Baby Gabriel because Baby Gabriel would face the same challenges as him. Ben was also secretly pleased to have won the bet.

The nurse smiled broadly, “That is sweet. Now we do have the secondary genders for each. Do you want that information?”

Alpha Dad said firmly, “Yes, please. Sam, do you agree?”

Sam glanced up briefly and back down, “Yes, of course.”

The nurse grinned, “Gadreel and Gary are alphas and Gabriel is an omega.”

Sam whimpered, “I… I need a moment.” Sam got up and left the room followed by Alpha Dad.

Ben shrugged and wondered what that was all about but he figured he would let the adults sort it out.

++  
Sam found his way to an empty waiting room and sat down with Alpha as he tried to get his breathing under control. This was a nightmare. He hoped that if any of the triplets were his they would be either a beta or an omega. He didn’t know how he could produce anything but a defective alpha and he just sired two defective alphas.

Alpha gently rubbed his back and asked, “Sam, what is going on?”

Sam shuttered and leaned into Alpha’s touch, “What if they are defective like me?”

Alpha wrapped him in a hug and rocked him in his arms, “You’re not defective. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. Gadreel and Gary won’t face the same struggles you had early in life. They may not develop the same disorders because they won’t have anyone beating them. I do know they will grow up to be good alphas regardless.”

Sam shook his head, “They need oxygen. What if… What if they got brain damage?”

Alpha tightened his hold a little, “Then we will love and care for them. If Gadreel and Gary are anything like their fathers, we have nothing to worry about.”

Sam felt a little guilty for worrying about Gadreel and Gary when Baby Gabriel was in far worse shape. He asked meekly, “What about Baby Gabriel?”

Alpha ran a hand through his hair while he recited, “The doctors say the prognosis is good. He may be here for a couple months, but he is looking stronger every hour. We just have to do our part. We have to make sure Ben has what he needs to produce milk for as long as he is willing and we need to love on all three of them in the moments we are given with them.”

Sam relaxed in Alpha’s hold because at least at this moment, everything seemed a little easier. He could do this. He had to do this.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gadreel and Gary are both names of characters that possessed Sam's body. Gary is the name of the character who switched bodies with Sam back in season five. Gadreel is from season 9. 
> 
> Gabriel seemed like a fitting name for the third one. The weakest one being named after an archangel seemed fitting in a weird way. His strength is yet to be seen.


	21. Chapter 21

Dean didn’t set foot in the NICU at the hospital. He simply stared at his babies from the window. He watched Alpha, Sam, and Ben dote on each of the babies. He watched the nurse take Ben’s smaller cooler of milk with a grateful smile. It made Dean feel like an outsider. When he was pregnant, he couldn’t wait for his babies to be born. He wanted this. He wanted Ben to have siblings.

Now though, it was different. He regretted his choice to have more children. He harmed them and they were completely helpless. He just wanted to go home and go to sleep. He didn’t want to see the babies like this when he knew they deserved to be in a better place.

The loud smacking of a lollipop drew Dean’s attention. He rolled his eyes at Gabriel as he tiredly snapped, “Stop that.”

Gabriel didn’t for a few moments more then he declared, “You should talk to someone. This isn’t your fault.”

Dean felt his eyes fall to Baby Gabriel or Gabby as everyone began calling him. He was still too frail to be held. He had a little light on over him to help with jaundice. Dean would rather wish death on someone than have to endure what Gabby felt. Dean felt it must be torture though the staff assured him Gabby was in no pain. Gabby couldn’t even cry like the others. Sure, tears could leave his eyes, but he couldn’t wail. He was just so weak.

Dean whispered, “Death would be merciful.”

Gabriel smacked him in the arm and snapped, “Don’t ever say that about one of my nephews again. Gabby is precious… Slightly more precious than Gadreel and Gary. Gabby is going to grow up to be a badass omega. Gadreel and Gary will grow up to… I don’t know. I’m sure they will accomplish something interesting. Alphas are pretty boring.”

Dean let his hand touch the glass as he stared at his two alphas. Dean knew Sam was less than pleased with them being alphas and Dean could understand why. Even this early in life they were at a profound disadvantage. They didn’t deserve that life. They deserved so much more.

++

Sam rocked Gary in his arms as Ben held Gadreel. Alpha dotted on Gabby and it was a happy moment for the most part. He just had to ignore Dean in the hallway. It made Sam sad to know that Dean didn’t bond with the babies or maybe he did just in a different way. Sam wasn’t sure. They just had different methods of coping which Sam could understand. Dean spent barely an hour at the hospital each day. Alpha and himself spent nearly every moment they could spare at the hospital. Even Ben spent a lot of time at the hospital and would do his homework there. Sometimes, Sam would even read through court documents while he lightly rubbed one of the baby’s feet.

He never wanted them to feel alone. He wanted them to know that even though they were in this place, they were very much loved and wanted. Sam’s biggest difficulty was coming to terms with siring two alphas and his own desire not to be an alpha. When he looked at his children, he thought they were perfect and in a few more days Gadreel and Gary could go home. Gabby would likely stay here a couple weeks longer. Sam knew they would have to devise a schedule so the twins at home would be loved while Gabby would be loved in the hospital. It would take some balancing but Sam was certain they were up for the challenge.

Sam leaned down and kissed Gary’s forehead as he whispered, “I love you.”

+++

Sometimes, the hardest part of life was the waiting. It was the not knowing what would happen. It was being completely helpless. It was being unable to keep safe those closest to you. It was feeling like a failure even in the face of success. It was undesirable. Sometimes, Castiel wished he was an angel. He wished he could heal the sick. He wished he was powerful enough to protect those closest to him, but he wasn’t.

Reality and fantasy are two very different things. In life, there are no angels. There are no demons. God, all of the Gods, were made up as a means for the rich to control the poor. God… One three letter word justified so much pain and suffering throughout the world. Castiel knew that in life, he had to rely on himself and his family. He couldn’t rely on fairy tales to save him. Still, he hoped.

He hoped that maybe somewhere out there, God existed and cared about people as insignificant was himself and his family. Sometimes, he hoped God would protect him. It was a childish wish, but one he held dear. A wish, like all the others from his childhood, that would remain unfulfilled and unheard. Castiel didn’t want to despair but some days he felt like everything he had built had been taken from him.

Dean’s behavior did not get better after coming home from the hospital. It got worse. Dean would sleep for all hours of the day. He would refuse to be fed by hand. He stopped talking. He stopped visiting the hospital to see their children and even the smallest of tasks became too much for Dean. It wasn’t until one night when Castiel awoke to Ben’s scream that he knew how far lost Dean was.

Dean tried to stab Ben. Fortunately, Alfie snuck into Ben’s room after bed and protected Ben. Castiel wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or pissed about Ben breaking the rules. None the less, Dean had postpartum depression and Castiel felt like a fool for not noticing sooner. Omegas suffered from the disease much more quickly and the symptoms were more severe than with a beta. As a result, Dean was checked into a treatment center. It was the same treatment center, Dean viewed as a prison when he was pregnant with Ben but it was the best place for Dean. The difference between Dean’s admission this time from when Dean was pregnant with Ben was this admission was involuntary.

Dean couldn’t leave until he was no longer deemed a threat. Castiel felt something unexplainable when he signed his name to Dean’s admission paperwork. It wasn’t relief or hope. It was a loss, a profound sense of loss. Castiel failed to understand how any God could be so cruel as to take away Dean. His Dean.

“Alpha?” Sam’s concerned voice filled the room.

Castiel turned around slowly as Sam wrapped his arms around him. Castiel found himself thanking God for not taking away Sam. His Sam.

Sam whispered in his ear, “It’s not your fault, Alpha. I love you and we’ll get through this. Our children are safe and Dean is safe.”

Castiel sniffled a little as he wiped his eyes, “Yes, of course, you’re right Sam. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just Dean didn’t deserve for this to happen.”

Sam shook his head, “Life is rarely fair, Alpha.”

++

Jessica removed the kitchen utensils from the most expensive suite in the entire treatment center. This room was rarely occupied and from her understanding only used by omegas from non-free states with rich alphas. She didn’t know much about the omega coming in, just that he had postpartum depression, therefore, the kitchen utensils had to be used. She also knew that his food was ordered specially made by a chef for the rich ones. He wouldn’t be eating from the cafeteria line.

She closed up the last box of utensils and placed it on her cart then she rolled it out of the room. She hummed lightly to herself as she locked the cart away and went to get the omega. Jessica didn’t like showing the rich ones to their rooms, but the facility thought that the high rollers needed extra care.

Jessica straightened her smock and walked into the waiting room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who it was. Dean… Dean Fucking Winchester. Her true mate’s mate. She felt her stomach curl when she realized Dean likely birthed children with Sam.

Dean snarled at her which she expected. He sounded grumpy and tired beneath it all, “Jessica, how goes it? You’ll be happy to know that if you and Sam did have babies they would be alphas. Little fucked up alphas just like him.”

Jessica frowned a little and remembered her training not to correct Dean. Instead, she smiled kindly and said, “Dean, how about I show you to your room? Castiel ordered for your meals to be catered so you don’t have to eat off the cafeteria line if you don’t want to.”

Dean rolled his eyes then marched past her and quipped, “Of course, he would. Please show me to my cell.”

Jessica kept the smile plastered on her face while she secretly wanted to punch him. She strolled down the hallway in a comfortable silence until they reached the room.

Dean snapped, “You have to be fucking kidding me. The same cell? The universe hates me. I am stuck here in the same cell I was pregnant with Ben in. I was stuck here for months. Now, I am stuck here again with a woman claiming to be my mate’s true mate. Can I get whiskey?”

Jessica shook her head and kept her voice kind, “This isn’t about Sam and me, Dean. This is about you getting better. I know there is nothing between Sam and myself. He has made it abundantly clear that he is committed to you and Castiel. He loves you and I can’t say he shares the same feelings for me.”

Dean sighed and plopped down on the sofa. He muttered, “At least, they got a new sofa in here. This one is much more comfortable.”

Jessica smiled, “I am glad you like it. Dr. Fitzgerald will be by later to talk to you and get your medication sorted out. Is there anything allowed you would like?”

Dean crossed his arms like an angry child, “No.”

Jessica shook her head fondly, “Okay then, just hit the call button if you want something to eat and we will bring it up. The kitchen utensils have been removed for your safety.”

Dean rolled his eyes as Jessica left the room. Jessica closed the door gently behind her and let out a slow breath. She smiled genuinely this time. She would get to see Dean suffer and with Dean out of the picture, she could show Sam what a good omega she could be.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday!


	22. Chapter 22

Homecomings were supposed to be happy times, but Sam was far from happy. Fate allowed Gadreel and Gary to be released from the hospital the same day. Gadreel had a little green cap covering his head while Gary had a yellow one. Before the triplets were born, they had discussed assigning a color to each one to tell them apart. Sam wasn’t sure how long it would last for but for now, it was a good idea.

Sam carefully picked up the carrier holding Gadreel while Alpha picked up Gary’s carrier and they walked out of the hospital. They did get some sympathetic looks and Sam knew why. Either the people thought the babies were orphaned and they were adopting them or their mother died. Neither was the case and Sam didn’t want to tell anyone the truth. He decided it was better to let them think what they want and gossip what they want.

He silently buckled in Gadreel’s car seat as Alpha did the same with Gary’s car seat. The motion felt hollow to him. It wasn’t joyful like when they brought Ben home. Sam slipped into the passenger seat of the car and tried to think of happier times or perhaps this being a happy time.

Alpha pulled Sam from his self-loathing when he said firmly, “Sammy, it will be okay. Gadreel and Gary are healthy. Gabby will be able to come home soon too. I am certain of it… And…”

Sam cut him off with a sharp, “And what? Dean will actually talk to us?  He doesn’t answer when we call for him. He refuses to see us or Ben.”

Alpha sighed, “I know, Sammy, but it will be okay. I promise. Dean is just upset but we had to do something. He tried to stab Ben for God’s sake!”

Sam nodded because he knew that. He knew Dean was off his rocker, but still. Dean’s rejection hurt. Sam ran his hands over his face and asked, “What about Ben sneaking Samandriel into his room?”

Alpha shook his head and whispered, “I don’t know. I wish I had the answer but I don’t. I want to punish him until he concedes to obey me, but I don’t think that will work. Ben has an out and if I punish him like I want to, it will just push him further away.”

Sam bit his lip because he knew exactly what Alpha wanted to do. He had a front row seat to that punishment when Dean decided to flirt with the girls at school. He remembered being so afraid of everything. It wasn’t just his fear of getting hit. It was deeper than that and unexplainable, even to him. That week was one of the most terrifying weeks in his life. With his father, Sam knew when to hide. The bottles of liquor gave his father away, but with Alpha, there was never any warning. It always seemed like something small. A thought. A gesture. A slouch. A yawn. Anything would trigger Alpha’s wrath.

Sometimes after that week, Sam remembered trying and failing to please Alpha anyway his young mind told him he could. He didn’t want to be beaten. If he was good Alpha would hold him and he would be warm for a moment. Sam never wanted Ben to feel like that. Now, he had two little lives in the backseat that he had to make sure never felt that way.

Sam spoke slowly, “I think we could always try talking to him and skip the beating.”

Alpha rolled his eyes, “I’ve never beat anyone.” Sam didn’t say anything to that and figured somethings were hard to define. Perhaps, he viewed Alpha’s actions as much harsher than what they were. All Sam knew was he didn’t want to argue with Alpha.

++

Ben frowned at his burger. This seemed like a decent trade. Breastmilk for pie and burgers, but it was boring as Hell. He knew he should have held out for a better bargain but he didn’t have a magic stone to turn back time. Ben slammed his burger down which caused Uncle Gabriel to yell, “Hey, that was some of my best work.”

Ben smiled a little which was rare for him lately. Ever since his omega dad tried to kill him, he’s been staying with Uncle Gabriel and Samandriel. Uncle Gabriel had a very interesting method of making sure no hanky-panky went on though. Alfie was required to sleep in Uncle Gabriel’s room. The bedroom door was then rigged with bells so there was no way either of them was getting in and out.

Alfie admitted to him the other day that he liked the cuddle time which was creepy as Hell. He wished he had another omega to talk to about this but he had no one. Hell, even before his omega dad went batshit he didn’t have anyone. Ben always viewed his omega dad as being in complete denial to what he was. Uncle Sammy was more adept at omega issues than his own omega father. Actually, come to think of it, Uncle Sammy probably would know how to handle this creepy cuddling or he would join the cuddle session. Ben wasn’t really sure.

Ben grumbled at his uncle instead of talking about anything deep, “Burgers are getting old. I should have bargained better.”

Gabriel chuckled and ruffled his hair, “Okay Prince Benjamin, what you like?”

Ben shrugged, “Macaroni and cheese with broccoli, carrots, and bacon.”

Gabriel threw his hands over his chest and acted like he was wounded, “You want vegetables in your mac and cheese? That’s wrong.”

Ben laughed lightly, “I like it. Uncle Sammy puts spinach in it sometimes too.”

Gabriel wrinkled his nose in disgust as he made his way into the kitchen, “You’re not helping your case, kid. Grab me the casserole pan. If we are going to make mac and cheese, we are doing the real deal. None of that boxed crap.”

Ben bounced out of his chair and hurried to get the pan. He always enjoyed helping Uncle Sammy out in the kitchen. He did wonder sometimes what the ‘boxed crap’ tasted like. He’d never had it and his omega dad described it as tasting like poverty.

++

Dean glared at Charlie as he said through gritted teeth. “I am not talking to them.”

Charlie sighed and threw up her arms. “Fine, don’t talk to them. Would you like to at least hold one of your babies? I might be able to convince Sam to let me take one of them back here?”

Dean grumbled and crosses his arms like a spoiled child. “I don’t want anything to do with any of them.”

Charlie groaned loudly and plopped down on the sofa next to him. Dean knew it was pointless to move away so he stayed put. God, he hated this facility. Charlie took a couple calming breaths before she stated, “Dean, I understand that you’ve been under a lot of stress, but your triplets are precious and innocent. They need to know their omega dad loves them.”

Dean glared at Charlie and said lowly, “Their uncle or their dad? I happen to be both to them.”

Charlie ran her hands through her red hair and snapped, “I cannot believe you are turning this back around on Sam. Did you even talk to him? Of course, you didn’t. Why would you? I have been around you outside of this place. I know how Sam reacts to both you and Castiel. Sam never wanted children and has wanted a vasectomy for years then one day, you decide you want another baby and you want Sam to be the father. Do you really believe that Sam was suddenly okay with the idea? Honestly Dean, answer me honestly.”

Dean stared at a spot on the carpet. That spot seemed a whole hell of a lot safer than Charlie right now. Dean wasn’t blind or stupid to Sam’s feelings about things. He knew Sam had issues. He knew all of that, he just never wanted to talk to Sam about it because chicks did that. In fairness, Dean knew Sam had the power to say no but rarely did. Sam has drawn the line at certain actions or activities, but it was rare. Mostly, it seemed like Sam didn’t want to see Alpha in a compromising position, which Dean never really thought about much.

Sam never once said anything to him about not wanting the babies. The closest he got was the little freak out over them being alphas, but that was all. Dean knew Sam loved Gadreel and Gary. He just didn’t know if Sam wanted to be their uncle or their father.

Dean whispered, “I don’t know, okay? But I will go see them.”

Charlie grinned, “Great. You’re not on scent restrictions so you won’t have glass separating you but you will have to change your clothes and shower before you come back to your room to get their scent off.”

++

Jessica cooed at Little Gary in Sam’s arms. The baby wrapped his little fist around her finger. She grinned up at Sam, “He’s so perfect.”

Sam smiled as he lightly rocked the baby, “They all are. All four of the children are perfect. We are very lucky.”

Jessica paused for a moment because he hated that Sam didn’t separate out his children from Castiel’s children. She lightly touched Gary’s fuzzy blonde hair. The baby’s eyes were blue but Jessica had no doubt they would change color later on to either Sam’s hazel or Dean’s green. As it was the twins looked like a perfect mix of Sam and Dean. It made Jessica long to know what a mix of her and Sam would look like. Her stomach curled when she realized she would never know. Jessica asked, “Do you want any more children?”

Sam smiled and shook his head fondly, “No, I think having a teenager and three newborns is enough for us. Alpha agreed to allow me to have a vasectomy so we don’t have to worry about any accidents.”

Jessica frowned because vasectomies affected an alpha’s function and ability to form a knot. She couldn’t understand why Sam would want to take that away. She knew it wasn’t her place though so she didn’t say a word about that. Instead, she asked, “When?”

Sam smiled down at the baby. His attention clearly wasn’t on her, “Not long, one or two years. We want to make sure Dean is better and the triplets are good health first. We are also hoping Ben will be mated by then. He’s courting a second cousin.”

Jessica stared a Gary for a moment while she processed everything. She didn’t know how she felt about Ben’s courtship.

++

Castiel hated all of these random omegas fawning over the twins. He held Gadreel in his arms while a seemingly endless sea of omegas cooed at the baby, advised him on how to be a good parent, and so on. None of these omegas was the one he wanted to see. He wanted to see Dean.  

Castiel cradled Gadreel close and gave the infant a kiss on the forehead. Gadreel smiled at him which warmed his heart just a little. As Castiel moved Gadreel away from his face, he saw Dean staring at him. He wasn’t sure if he should offer Gadreel to Dean or protect him from Dean. Castiel didn’t expect to feel conflicting emotions when he finally saw Dean. He was torn between comforting Dean and protecting his family.

He greeted his mate warily, “Hello Dean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had a really shit week at work.


	23. Chapter 23

Dean took the baby from Alpha and stared in awe at the little bundle. He had no idea which one this one was. He half paid attention when Alpha and Sam discussed color coding the babies and he didn’t remember. He wondered if it would look bad if he had to ask. He gave birth to this baby so he should know his name.

He adjusted the little green blanket that wrapped around the baby as he looked at Alpha. He asked a little sheepishly, “Which one is this?”

Alpha smiled sadly and touched the baby’s cheek. Foggy blue eyes looked Alpha’s direction then a little hand reached out to Alpha. Alpha simply took the little hand and held it between two of his fingers. Alpha whispered, “This is Gadreel. Sam has Gary. Little Gabriel is still in the hospital.”

Dean joked, “So all the omegas are stuck in the hospital?”

Alpha squinted at him and said slowly, “No Dean, I don’t see that as anyone’s intent. Gabby is getting better. It is taking him longer than his brothers. Yesterday was a major milestone for Gabby, he was taken off the ventilator. He’s still on oxygen, but he is breathing on his own. Gabby is a fighter.” Alpha paused and asked, “Are you getting better? They won’t tell me anything and you won’t talk to me or Sam.”

Dean shrugged because he didn’t know. He had spent most of his time in his room watching TV. He’d had bacon for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and burgers for dinner every day since he’s been here. He’s choked twice on his food. He showered every three days when Charlie declared that he smelled. He refused to go to group therapy and he spent his time with Garth in a silence. Dean whispered, “No. I haven’t been trying though either.”

Alpha looked like a kicked puppy. “Is there something I can do? I know don’t you don’t like it here, but I… I didn’t know what else to do.”

Dean handed Gadreel back to Alpha and shook his head, “I don’t know what to do either. I think I forced Sam to have children with me. He never wanted children of his own. Now, he has two and I’m not even helping with them.”

Alpha gave Gadreel another kiss on the forehead, “We decided to have the triplets call Sam, Papa. We thought that if the twins have one Alpha Dad and Gabby has a different one it would be confusing for them. Sam is nervous about the twins being alphas but I don’t think he regrets creating them. He loves them, just as he loves Ben and Gabby.”

Dean ran his hands over his face and asked, “Really?”

Alpha gave him a peck on the cheek this time and said, “Really and he’s right over there. You can always ask him.”

Dean nodded and said, “Yeah, I think I will do that.”

Dean started to walk away as Alpha grabbed his arm and pleaded, “Dean, please… Please don’t cut us off and please use this time to get better. I will do anything for you but I need to know you’re okay.”

Dean pursed his lips, “I will ask if you can get updates on my treatment and I’ll try to come to visitation. I don’t know if I’ll always feel up to it.” Dean didn’t want to tell Alpha that visitation time was during his afternoon nap.

++

Gabriel held a mop proudly in his hand and declared, “Alright boys, we have about two hours to clean this house from top to bottom.”

Ben groaned and asked, “Why are we doing this again?”

Gabriel plastered a smile on his face as he passed the mop to Ben. He sounded rather pleased with himself when he said, “A. Because you live here. B. Because Sam and Castiel are probably worn out trying to juggle the new arrivals. C. Because your omega dad is in the hospital so it is the decent thing to do. Questions?”

Ben sighed and marched towards his room after discarding the mop on the floor. “Fine, I will get the sheets.”

Gabriel shrugged and grabbed the bathroom supplies and went to Castiel’s room first. He made his way through the room and into the bathroom with ease. He started humming as cleaned. Happily, lost in his own little world. The bathroom didn’t take long to clean so Gabriel grabbed the vacuum and vacuumed Castiel’s bedroom, Sam and Dean’s bedroom, and the nursery. Gabriel quickly dusted the rooms. Then he gathered up his bathroom cleaning supplies and made his way to the hall bath.

That was when he stopped his humming and noticed Ben’s bedroom door was closed. Gabriel muttered to himself, “Horny teenagers.” He knocked on the door once before he swung the door open. He expected to see a lot of things when he swung the door open. He did not expect to see Ben’s fingers in Samandriel’s ass. Gabriel looked down at his cleaning supplies to see if there was any bleach for his eyes.

He couldn’t find any bleach. Gabriel kept his head down as he said as firmly as possible, “Both of you get decent and meet me in the living room. You have one minute.” Gabriel marched into the living room while telling himself he had to be an adult and he did not need to call his little brother over this. He knew he’d have to tell Castiel about this, but he wanted to tell Castiel and bolt. There was very little doubt in Gabriel’s mind that Castiel would take this indecision out of Ben’s ass and possibly Samandriel’s ass.

Exactly fifty-nine seconds later, the boys sat down on the sofa looking rather embarrassed. Neither of them said anything, but it wasn’t like Gabriel expected them to say anything. Gabriel paced in front of them while pinching his nose. He didn’t know how to do this parenting crap.

Finally, he blurted out, “What the fuck were the two of you thinking? No, don’t answer that. You clearly weren’t thinking. Castiel is fucking traditional. Not as traditional as Michael but traditional. And now, I have to tell him that his omega son was fucking around with the alpha courting him. Castiel is going to lose his shit. Trust me, I have heard stories of Castiel losing his shit. This isn’t going to end well.”

Samandriel looked up as he held on to Ben’s hand, “We didn’t mean to offend Ben’s alpha father. I can talk to him and accept whatever punishment he sees fit. Ben and I are not doing anything involving intercourse and I haven’t penetrated him in any way. He’s still pure.”

Gabriel groaned, “Okay, are you guys ready to mate?”

Ben and Samandriel shared a glance and shook their heads. Ben stared at his hands as he said, “No, I mean we both want to be in a better financial position before we mate. I want to be done with high school.”

Gabriel sighed again, “Okay, then keep everything above the waist. We still need to get this house cleaned. Samandriel, you’re on vacuum duty. Ben, please start cleaning up the kitchen. Maybe if the house is clean, Castiel won’t be as pissed.”

++

Castiel stared blank faced at his elder brother as he heard the news. Furious wouldn’t even begin to describe his mood. He’d felt this way one time before and he never wanted to feel those feelings again. Castiel glanced at Sam and said as calmly as he could, “Sam please go to our room with the twins. I will come get you later.”

Sam blinked at him a couple times and for a moment, Castiel thought Sam would argue. However, Sam didn’t. He lowered his head slightly and deferred, just as he was taught, “Of course Alpha, let me grab a couple bottles for them. It is almost feeding time.”

Castiel nodded slowly while he watched Sam retreat with both baby carriers. Gabriel, probably from a desire to escape this situation, took one of the carriers from Sam and helped him with the milk. Once he heard the bedroom door close, he turned his attention to a terrified looking Ben and an uncertain Samandriel. He took a calming breath himself to keep himself from doing something he would regret later. He promised Sam and Dean he wouldn’t.

Samandriel spoke up anxiously before Castiel could gather his thoughts, “I’m sorry, Mr. Novak… Sir… Alpha. I… I will gladly take whatever punishment you feel Ben should receive. It’s my fault. I am the alpha. I am supposed to make the right the choices. That isn’t on Ben.”

Ben snapped grumpily at Samandriel, “Hey, I can make my own choices.”

Castiel sighed, “Ben, I would recommend remaining silent unless you want to make this worse for yourself.” He gave his son a pointed look and it only took a moment for Ben to shrink back in his seat. The Castiel turned his attention to Samandriel, “You are correct in that it is your job to lead and to make sure you’re not leading your omega and family down the wrong path. It is a burden and it seems to be one you’re failing at miserably. Tell me Samandriel, what are you mating plans for Ben?”

Samandriel’s eyes darted around the room frantically until they settled on a spot on the carpet. He mumbled, “We… we don’t have a mating plan. I want to be able to support Ben and Ben wants to finish high school. We aren’t there yet, Mr. Novak… Sir… Alpha.”

Castiel nodded slow and recounted, “I purchased Sam and Dean. I had a plan on when I wanted to mate them before I ever took them into my home. Caring for an omega is no small feat. Caring for anything is no small feat. Ben is precious to me.” Castiel fumed, “What you’re doing to my son is devaluing him and treating him as nothing more than a cheap whore.”

Ben burst into tears and protested, “It’s not like that. I love him!”

Castiel snapped his head over to his son and said slowly, “Then mate and don’t act like a whore.”

Ben wiped his eyes and argued, “But you fooled around with Uncle Sammy before you mated him. I… I saw pictures when I snooped around one day.”

Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose and tried desperately to keep his calm, “Yes, I did fool around with Sam prior to mating, not that it is any of your business and please stay out of my belongings. The reason I engaged in sexual activity with him as because I was told it was for the best to mate him as soon as I could. He was too small at twelve so I did other things to make him comfortable and get him used to the idea. I didn’t want him to be afraid when I mated him.” Castiel whispered, “He was only fourteen, Ben. He hardly knew what any of that meant or what was happening to him. I wanted to make it easier for him. There hasn’t been a day when I haven’t regretted my actions.”

Samandriel gasped out, “Wow.”

Castiel nodded and sat down on a chair. He eased his belt off from around his waist replied, “Wow indeed. Samandriel, I won’t let you take all of Ben’s punishment, but you can take half. Twenty straps with my belt for each of you or forty for Ben. Your choice.”

Ben pleaded, “I’ll take the forty.”

Castiel shook his head and said calmly, “It’s your alpha’s choice, not yours. I told you to be silent.”

++

Jessica threw a small stress ball up and down from her bed as tears stung her eyes. It wasn’t fair. She saw Sam today and it was bittersweet. Sam’s babies were beautiful, not that she would expect Sam to make anything that wasn’t beautiful. It was the way Sam looked at the babies like they were the most beautiful thing he ever laid his eyes on. A blind person could tell Sam loved his children. A blind person could see the way he looked at Castiel and Dean too.

There wasn’t any room in Sam’s heart for her. It became abundantly clear to her today that she never had a chance with Sam. When she met baby Gary, Sam was polite and told her how he is a strong and good baby. When Sam handed Gary to Dean, it was different. Sam didn’t lie to Dean. Sam whispered something in Dean’s ear and made him chuckle. Worst of all, she had to watch her true mate kiss another omega while they held their baby between them.

It looked like a happy family and a family she would never be a part of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate Mondays.


	24. Chapter 24

Hospital coffee never seemed decent or strong enough, but the opportunity to talk to Samandriel alone was limited for Sam. At least here he wouldn’t have to worry about Ben or Alpha interfering. Granted, they would both know about the conversation. It was just they couldn’t interfere and neither of them could really understand what needed to be said.

Samandriel stared at his soda with his shoulders hunched. Sam felt sorry for him because he knew exactly how Samandriel felt. Samandriel looked an awful lot like him during his first days at a high school for alphas and betas. Sam shuddered when he thought about those days. Everyone knew he presented differently and everyone saw the bite mark on his neck. The worst part of high school for Sam was the alphas that assumed he got raped and teased him for it. They would ask questions that would go unanswered, repeatedly. Most of the questions should never have been asked in the first place.

Sam shook his head to clear his thoughts on his past and to focus on the present and Samandriel. Sam took a sip of his coffee and said, “I’m glad you agreed to come down here and talk to me while Alpha and Ben spend time with Gabby.”

Samandriel glanced up and shrugged, “Okay, did you bring me down here to tell me I am a terrible alpha too?”

Sam asked honestly, “Why would a ‘timid’ alpha like me do that?”

Samandriel sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He sounded tired and defeated when he spoke, “Because you’re Ben’s dad and I don’t know of anyone that would want their omega son to mate with a messed up alpha like me.”

Sam wasn’t sure what to make of Samandriel referring to him as Ben’s dad. It warmed something inside of Sam to be viewed as a parent by Ben, but it wasn’t true. Sam knew he just the uncle that happened to be mated to Ben’s parents. He knew in the grand scheme of things, he really wasn’t that important.

Sam took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, “I don’t think you’re messed-up. Alpha told me about the panic attack when you tried to take Ben’s punishment for him. I’m not exactly clear on what the punishment was, but I understand panic attacks from physical violence.”

Samandriel rolled his eyes and said dryly, “Do you now?”

Sam shrugged a little uncomfortable by the questioning, “I do because the same thing happens to me. Even if I see violence, it can affect me. I won’t necessarily have a panic attack if I see it, but it will affect my sleep. Alpha… Alpha used to physically punish me too. He used to spank me and he wouldn’t stop when the panic attack started and that just scared me even more. So, I do understand.”

Samandriel sucked in a breath and muttered, “So… I am not the only one. How do you control it?”

Sam didn’t know really. He just avoided getting hit. “I don’t really. I just avoid getting hit. Alpha was given two options to stop my panic attacks. One was to beat me until I stopped and the other was to stop hitting me and mate me as soon as possible.”

Samandriel stared at Sam in silence for a long moment before he whispered, “That is why he mated you so young. He was trying to help you. He wasn’t… He wasn’t trying to hurt you. I always thought mating before presentation was wrong. I… I never stopped to consider why it was done.”

Sam smiled slightly, “Given the two options, I am glad he took the route he did. I do question whether or not I am worthy to be an alpha but that is a story for another day.”

Samandriel rocked his soda cup in his hand for a few moments. Sam didn’t know what he was thinking but it was clear he was deep in thought. He decided it was best to let him think. Samandriel’s voice was tentative, “I know a lot of alphas that look up to you as a role model because of the work you’ve done. I am one of them. I don’t know if that makes you feel worthy or not, but it should.” Samandriel paused and asked, “The panic attacks… Did they start when Castiel saw fit to punish you?”

Sam shook his head. He hated the idea that he would be a role model to anyone. Alpha made a much better role model than him. Sam wasn’t sure how to answer Samandriel’s question. He knew the answer. It was just hard to talk about. Still, Sam knew that for Samandriel to not feel alone like he did, then he should tell him. “My father beat me. He wanted to beat into me how to be a good alpha. Before Dean presented, my father was certain we would both be alphas. He trained us to be alphas. Dean latched onto everything my father taught but I didn’t. My lack of understanding and ability incited my father’s wrath. The panic attacks only made it worse. He would tell me that when Dean presented as an alpha he would kill me.”

Samandriel whispered out, “Wow. I… I think your dad and my grandfather might be one in the same. When Grandfather found out I would be an alpha, everything revolved around training me into a good alpha. That training usually involved his fists. He wanted me to be cruel to omegas and sometimes betas. I… I didn’t understand why. They weren’t any different than me. The omegas at my house growing up were the only ones that showed me kindness. My father and even my grandfather never showed me that.”

To Sam that story sounded painfully familiar only, he never had the luxury of being around people that were kind to him. He never talked to an omega until Dean presented but at that time, he thought he was an omega too. Sam said honestly, “I am glad you’re away from them now. Things with Ben seem to be going well despite your setbacks.”

Samandriel shrugged, “I guess. Castiel wants us to mate if we’re going to fool around. He thinks I am devaluing Ben by doing what we’re doing. I don’t want to hurt Ben. That was never my intention. Gabriel said that we could live with him if we decided to mate earlier than what we had planned. I just… I don’t know if Ben is ready to be away from his family. He told me he feels safest around Castiel and I don’t want to take that away from him.”

Sam didn’t know what to say to that. He knew he’d have to talk to Alpha about living arrangements after Ben mated. Sam did know he could promise one thing though, “Ben is always welcome to come home whenever he needs to or wants to.”

++

Dean started going to group therapy because he promised Alpha. There was absolutely no other reason why he was here. He would rather take a bath in acid than be here. Why one may ask? Well, group therapy was run by a puppet. Mr. Fizzles, Garth’s annoying therapy puppet, now ran group therapy. Dean didn’t know what was worse a puppet running the meeting or how most of the other omegas seemed to really open to a puppet.

Dean figured he should ask Sam if it was normal for omegas to talk to a puppet on a grown man’s hand. He really hoped it wasn’t normal. Seriously, he hoped this wasn’t normal.

The stupid puppet made a smiley face at him and said, “Dean, would you like to share your story?”

Dean repeated to himself that he was doing this for Alpha, for Sammy, for Ben, for the triplets, and perhaps even a little for himself, but mostly Alpha. He stared at the stupid puppet for a few moments before finally answering, “Sure, I am here because of post-partum depression. I tried to stab my teenage son. My mate had me involuntarily committed. I got to see two of the triplets the other day which was nice. I still haven’t seen my teenager so I can apologize.”

Mr. Fizzles gasped and asked, “Is your teenager an alpha?”

Dean rolled his eyes, “No, he’s an omega.”

The stupid puppet smiled, “Yay, maybe he could join us one day.”

 Dean squinted at Mr. Fizzles as a terrible idea formed in his head, “I would like that.” Now, Dean just had to make sure Ben was on board.

++

Ben rocked Gabby in his arms while his alpha dad sat next to him. He nervously asked, “What is Uncle Sammy talking to Samandriel about?”

His dad glanced at him then took the baby from his arms. His voice was calm, “Sam has panic attacks like Samandriel does when someone hits him. It is the reason why I don’t hit Sam and why I knew what to do.”

Ben scrunched up his nose in disgust because that sounded messed up. Why would his dad hit his uncle, to begin with? Ben knew rationally that his dad had hit his omega dad before. He never saw it. He never heard it, but somehow he just knew. Ben always wondered why it was okay to hit someone. He completely understood his dad taking a belt to him after what he did with Samandriel. He knew he screwed up and his rear still had bruises from that. It was just he didn’t understand how that worked in a relationship. Did his alpha dad hit his mates over disagreements or different opinions? Ben didn’t know but he was curious.

Out of all the questions, he could ask, Ben found himself asking, “So if I mate with Samandriel does that mean he can hit me like you did? If I do something he doesn’t like, he can spank me or whatever he deems necessary?”

Alpha Dad sighed, “Yes and no, physical punishment is a correction. It doesn’t work for everyone. For your omega dad, it was the only thing he’s ever responded to. Dean would correct the behavior if the pain was involved. Sam was different. Sam aside from the time Sam left me, he’s never done anything deliberately to disobey me. Most of what he got punished for when he was a teenager and a preteen was keeping secrets. He wouldn’t tell me how he felt or what was wrong. He would try to hide from me or curl into a corner in a little ball. Sam had other punishments that he responded to, such as corner time or kneeling on rice. I was a foolish alpha back then and I punished Sam for doing those things instead of asking why he was doing those things.”

Ben didn’t have to ask to know why Uncle Sammy would do those things. He may not have lived it but it was clear. Uncle Sammy was terrified of Alpha Dad. Ben didn’t think Uncle Sammy was terrified anymore and perhaps Uncle Gabe was right maybe Uncle Sammy did have Stockholm Syndrome. Ben also knew one thing though. He said to his dad, “I never want to be treated like that.”

Alpha Dad nodded and recalled, “Yes, I know. I believe that is part of the reason why you wanted Sam to be your father and not me. Sam is a much better alpha. Samandriel reminds me a lot of Sam when he was younger. I think that is part of why the two of you are a good match.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mother's Day. I had an awkward breakfast with mine this morning. I hope yours was better.


	25. Chapter 25

Ben found the treatment center, hospital, or whatever they wanted to call it disturbing… Extremely disturbing. It wasn’t just one thing either. It was everything. First, there was the part where his alpha dad couldn’t come back with him. His omega dad tried to stab him. Ben figured that should grant him the privilege of his alpha dad being allowed to go back. Ben found them to be sexist because they didn’t allow alphas or betas. Then there was the shower and the hospital scrubs to get outside scent off. Ben thought he smelled like bathroom cleaner and that wasn’t a good thing. All he knew was he had every intention of taking another shower when he got home.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the treatment center was the omegas. They looked horrible. Many of them were either batshit crazy, beaten down to nothing, or resigned to their fate in life. It wasn’t exactly the most inspiring place to get better in. Although, there were posted schedules to help omegas learn how to read, cook, and even clean themselves. Ben wondered what sort of shithole these people lived in before if they had to take a class on how to bathe. It made him grateful that his alpha dad wasn’t that much of a psycho.

Group therapy was sad. Ben realized as he listened to the way the omegas spoke and watched their actions that they never grew up, not really. Many of them had the mentality of children. They had very basic concerns which were all things Ben never had to worry about. He never had the struggles these omegas did. Sure, his family wasn’t perfect and Uncle Sammy and Omega Dad had some serious issues, but it was nothing compared to these people.

Ben turned his attention to the next omega to speak. She had shortish black hair and deep scars covering her arms and legs. Ben was fairly certain there were other scars hidden by her faded dress. She movements were strained and she kept pulling on the dress as her head darted around the room distrust. Her fingernails tried but failed to tear into her skin as she spoke, “In the darkness, it is safe. In the darkness, it is safe.” Ben watched as a look of terror overtook her face, only she didn’t scream. She stared at a vacant spot on the wall, as if it was the ghost from her past haunting her, and fell silent.

No one’s words could draw her out. Not the weird puppet, “It’s okay, Kaia. We are all here for you.”

Then the words of everyone else in the group with the exception of his omega dad, who looked over all of this, “You’re safe.” “It’s okay.” “We understand.” Ben seriously doubted any of them understood. Hell, he doubted this woman even understood what was happening. Ben felt a tear slip down his face as he realized if he was like her, he would want a silver bullet put through his heart. He wouldn’t want to live like that. Not even for a day.

Ben’s dad got asked to speak next. Honestly, his dad was the only reason he hadn’t bolted out of here and into his Alpha Dad’s arms where it was safe. Omega Dad’s voice was hesitant, “I’m glad my son is here today.” They locked eyes, “I’m sorry, Ben. I… I love you and please know I don’t want to hurt you or your brothers.”

The idiotic puppet made an awe sound then said proudly, “Thank you, Dean, for expressing that. Ben, do you have anything to say?”

Ben raised an eyebrow and asked, “Sure, I have something to say. First, the puppet is dumb. Second, I would hope my father wouldn’t want to stab me in my sleep!”

Omega Dad crossed his arms and muttered, “It wasn’t like you were sleeping when it happened. You had an alpha in your room.”

One of the girls in the group gasped and said, “Oh no, are you okay Ben? Did the alpha hurt you? Alphas are bad. Bad. Bad. Bad.”

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He suddenly felt like his alpha dad when he tried not to lose his shit. Ben gritted his teeth and said slowly, “The alpha is courting me. He’s not bad. He’s gentle and kind. For the record, we were sleeping. We have fooled around before but don’t worry Alpha Dad made it astoundingly clear to both of us that wasn’t acceptable behavior.”

Omega Dad’s eyes darkened, “Astoundingly clear… How did he make that astoundingly clear? I swear to the Gods if he hit you, I will…”

Ben yelled, “Oh shut up. You won’t do anything and we both know it. He spanked me and Samandriel if you must know. We deserved it and considering the two people who actually would stop something like that were in the house, it was pretty clear it was a last resort.”

Omega Dad snapped back, “Do not tell me to shut up. I am your father!”

Ben stood up and yelled back, “Barely. You never cared about me. All you cared about was your shop and screwing Alpha Dad. You’re not the person that helped me with my homework or tucked me in at night. You’re not the person that made sure he was at every single one of my school events. You’re not the one that took care of me when I was sick or took me to the doctor. Hell, it wasn’t even Alpha Dad that did all of that. The only person that ever acted like I was something special is Uncle Sammy. That is why I always wanted him to be my dad. I wanted at least one parent to give to shits about me and not look at me like a failure because I am an omega.”

Omega Dad wiped his eyes and stormed out of the room leaving Ben in a room full of messed up people and the stupid puppet. Ben took a couple deep breaths and said slowly, “I think I would like to leave now.”

Garth, the puppet master, put down the puppet and said kindly, “Will you give me just two more hours of your time? Group is over and I think Dean and you have more to talk about. I think it would help a lot.”

Ben glared at Garth and gritted his teeth, “Fine.”

++

Dean wiped his eyes in the hallway and watched everyone leave group therapy including Ben. He watched Ben disappear with Garth. He sniffled a little then he stepped back into the group therapy room. Mr. Fizzles, the annoying puppet, sat unattended on Garth’s chair. He swiped the puppet. He didn’t know exactly what he planned on doing with it, but he would think of something. Dean stuffed it in his pants so no one would know he had it.

He carefully left the room when he heard Garth’s squeaky voice, “Dean, there you are. I know today has been a lot for you with Ben being here. However, I would like you to talk to Ben. He agreed to stick around so the two of you can talk in private or with me. It is up to you.”

Dean ran his hands down his face. He really didn’t want to do this, but it had to be done. He nodded his head in agreement. “Sure, I can talk to him. You don’t have to stick around and I don’t want you snooping on my conversation.”

Ben patted him on the shoulder, “I won’t. Ben has a panic button if needed.”

Dean shook his head at the thought of Ben using a panic button because of him, but then he remembered the night when he tried to stab his son. He vividly remembered picking out the knife in the kitchen and sharpening it. Just the memory of that night scared Dean. He prayed he never acted like that again.

Dean followed Garth to a small room with no chairs, but a nice padded bench and padded walls. It looked a little comfy. Ben sat in the corner of the room with his hands covering his face, but Dean didn’t have to be his father to know he was crying. Dean never liked seeing his son like this. He never liked the whole chick flick moment crap and he usually made Sammy deal with it. Dean never once stopped to consider what impact that would have on Ben.

The door closed behind Dean making them jump a little. Dean sat down across from Ben and rested his elbows on his legs. He took a deep breath and said quietly, “I’m sorry you never felt like I was there. I always wanted you to have the same interests as me. When you were a baby, I would have you out in my shop with me. I thought you’d grow up to work on cars like me, but you didn’t. You… Ever since the day you were born, you loved Sammy.” Dean let out a dry laugh, “Half the time when you were fussy, the only person that could calm you was Sammy. He was the only one that could get you to sleep. I… Sam is just as much you dad as Castiel and me.”

Ben glanced up and wiped his eyes. He sniffled a little. “I know. I just suck because now Uncle Sammy has two babies that are his and I am afraid he won’t want me anymore. Then you try to hurt me and the only thing I have is Alpha Dad.”

Dean shook his head. He couldn’t believe Ben could be so dense. “Sammy will always want you. He went to an award ceremony at your school yesterday. He sent me a picture of it. Sammy may not have as much time because of the triplets, but he’ll still be there.”

Ben sniffled again, “I know. I just convinced myself that the triplets were my replacement. Then you wanted to kill me and I felt like you wanted to get me out of the way.”

Dean swallowed his pride and scooted over to his son. He wrapped him in a hug and said earnestly, “I’m sorry. I was… am sick. That is why I am here. You’re not in the way or a disappointment. I am proud of you. Sometimes, when I look at you, I see myself or at least what I would have wanted myself to be.”

Ben let go of a sob and grabbed onto Dean’s shirt. He cried in his father’s arms for a long time.

As Ben calmed down Dean asked, “Hey Ben, can you smuggle something out for me?”

++

Castiel paced in a visitation room at the treatment facility. This facility had been open for over fifty years and in that time, they had never had to call an omega’s alpha for behavioral issues until today. Dean put a therapy puppet in his pants and tried to get Ben to smuggle it out. For what purpose, Castiel had no idea. Some days, he felt bad for being firm with Dean. Then something like this would happen just to remind him why he had to firm with Dean.

Puppet stealing. His omega stole a much-loved therapy puppet. Former patients wrote the puppet letters. Current patients adored the puppet. Although, Castiel didn’t personally understand why a simple puppet could mean so much; it wasn’t his place to question why they had a puppet. It was his place to understand why Dean would try to steal it and stop it from happening again.

Dean entered the room with Ben looking a little sheepish. Ben immediately came over to him and scented him. Castiel held Ben close as he stared Dean down. He sat down with Ben on his lap while never breaking eye contact with Dean. Slowly he asked, “Dean, would you care to explain?”

Ben muttered with his head resting on Castiel’s shoulder, “The puppet leads group therapy and Omega Dad didn’t like that so he took the puppet.”

Castiel sighed, “Thank you, Ben.” He paused while he thought of something to say to that. He didn’t really know what to say. Don’t steal puppets? Why? Sam would have been much better suited to handle whatever this was. “Dean, I understand not liking a prop but stealing a puppet is wrong. You put it in your underwear. I have to pay for it to be dry cleaned now.”

Dean looked a little more pathetic, “I’m sorry, Alpha.”

Castiel eyed Dean for a moment. He knew Dean wasn’t sorry, not even a little bit. Castiel sighed, “No you’re not. You’re sorry you got caught. Dean, what happens when Sam is naughty?” Castiel knew spanking Dean would be far more effective, but he had to improvise. He doubted anyone at the facility would be okay with him spanking Dean.

Dean groaned. “Come on Alpha, I am not a little kid.”

Castiel rolled his eyes, “Clearly, but you acted like one. You’re an adult, Dean. You know not to take things that don’t belong to you. Go kneel in the corner. I am going to make sure Ben is okay. After I am done making sure Ben is okay, your thirty minutes will start. Then we can revisit how sorry you are.”

Ben shifted a little on his lap. He sniffled a little as they both watch Dean grumpily pick a corner to kneel in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Mr. Fizzles.


	26. Chapter 26

Claire stood outside the courthouse in a last attempt to keep her mother here. Unlike herself, Amelia didn’t have the benefit of a private lawyer. Claire had never seen an instance where all of the omega rights lawyers turned their backs on someone in need. She took a drag of her cigarette and wondered why.

Was it all the scams they ran? That could be, not everyone was beyond redemption.

Was it her? Could it be that having an alpha child sired by one of the wealthiest families in the country sealed her fate?

Was it anything at all?

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe her mother’s life was that insignificant. Claire’s heart ached with the thought. He mother was one of the most important people in the world to her. She didn’t understand how other people could not see her as she did. Sure, she did some bad things, but life was a cruel and harsh place.

Everything had a price. Everything. Claire took another drag of her cigarette when she heard a deep voice from behind her. “I like the ring of Claire Novak. Don’t you think that is a nice name?”

Claire turned around slowly and came face to face with Michael Novak. The photos on the internet didn’t do him justice. His hair had greyed and his eyes looked tired. Somehow though, he still seemed as ruthless as all the stories she heard about him. Claire shrugged at the man, “I suppose that is my name. What do you want?”

Michael hummed, “Everything. My own children were a disappointment. It figures that my most hated brother would be the one to sire an alpha.”

Claire rolled her eyes, “Whatever, man. Being an alpha is nothing special. Besides, I have it on good authority that you don’t have to worry about the family line.”

Michael quirked an eyebrow and asked, “Why would you say something so foolish? You are the future of the Novak line.”

Claire laughed and dropped her cigarette. She put it out with her foot. She smiled slightly, “You know, my mom always used to take men like you for as much money as she could. Then she scented Castiel Novak and became smitten.” Claire laughed, “He wasn’t smitten back and didn’t give two shits about her. I had to follow his son, Ben. I’ve been following him. He’s going to take everything you ever worked for. Everything Castiel ever worked for. Everything Gabriel ever worked for. He will have it all.”

Michael balked, “You speak nonsense. The only way that could happen is if he mated with Samandriel.”

“Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. You should see them together, it is disgusting.” Claire shook her head. Their relationship was weird.

Michael’s eyes lit up with joy and Claire wanted to stab him in the eye. Michael said earnestly, “I will put in a bid to purchase your mother when she goes to the kill facility on one condition. You keep an eye on Ben and Samandriel. It is important their mating happens.”

Claire gave a thumb’s up and added, “Sure, can you do something about Sam Winchester not taking on my mother’s case while you’re at it?”

Michael smiled devilishly, “He’ll be out of the picture soon.”

++

Sam moaned into his pillow as Alpha moved his fingers inside of him. It felt so good to have the time to do this. With everything that had been happening lately, it seemed like they never got private moments together. Sam was grateful for the time now though.

He clinched around Alpha’s fingers and begged, “Please knot me, Alpha.”

Alpha hummed behind him contemplatively, “I don’t know. I don’t think you’re ready. I think you need some more stretching.” Alpha wiggled his fingers inside of him which caused Sam to buck his hips and let out a weak moan. Alpha chuckled lightly, “My good little alpha.”

Sam wanted to be a good little alpha for Castiel too. He wanted that more than anything. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment before leaning up slightly to kiss Alpha on the lips. It quickly turned into messy French kisses. Dean hated French kisses on the basis that the inside of someone else’s mouth is gross. Dean did have a point, but Sam enjoyed kissing Alpha like this. Sam shuttered when he realized he had only ever kissed Alpha and Dean in his life.

Alpha nipped at his neck gently and whispered into his skin. “What are you thinking about, Sammy?”

Sam bent his neck to give Alpha better access and to show his submission to him. It was something alphas were never supposed to do with other alphas. Sam let out a moan as he felt Alpha’s teeth graze over his mating bite. Then he answered his alpha, “You were my first kiss and Dean was my second. I’ve never kissed anyone else.”

Alpha kissed his mating bite gently as he slowly started to insert his cock into Sam’s waiting hole. All coherent thought left Sam’s head, as he felt his alpha inside of him. It was perfect and Sam couldn’t think of anything better in the world. Sam got lost in sensation as Alpha’s knot started to grow inside of him. They fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. Sam let out a shaky breath as Alpha’s knot locked inside of him.

He felt at peace with the world like this. Then Sam felt Alpha’s hand move to his hard cock but Sam shook his head no, “Don’t.”

Alpha paused for a moment then lowered his hand to Sam’s hip, “Why, Little Alpha?”

Sam shrugged, “I… I don’t like orgasming sometimes… Sometimes, I do. It’s just right now I don’t want to feel that. Everything feels pretty perfect right now.”

Alpha kissed his neck gently, “Okay Sam.”

Sam knew there would be questions later, but right now, he just wanted to enjoy the peacefulness.  He closed his eyes and relaxed against Alpha. That was when he heard the baby monitor, they had turned down before having sex. Sam could hear Ben’s voice on the monitor.

“Yeah, I am never eating asparagus again if it causes your diapers to stink like this…. There you are all set. Are you hungry?”

A cry could be heard from one of the babies. Sam thought it sounded like Gadreel but he couldn’t be sure.

“Hey, no drinking from the tap! Come on, I’ll get you a bottle.”

The baby cried out again as Ben left the room.

However, Sam faintly heard, “I know you like to get your bottles from Papa. Well, Papa is screwing Alpha Dad right now so you’re stuck with me.”

Sam smiled slightly that was definitely Gadreel. Gadreel seemed to favor him during feeding time while Gary would gladly get cuddles and bottle from anyone.

++

Dean sat on the sofa in his prison cell with a cherry pie while he watched the local news. The crazy woman that thought she was Alpha’s true mate was getting shipped back to where she came from. Dean stabbed his pie and shoved another large bite into his mouth. He muttered around the pie, “Good riddance!”

Honestly, this true mate stuff rubbed Dean the wrong way for the stupidest of reasons. Supposedly, Sam had a true mate. Alpha had a true mate. Ben had a true mate. And who did he have? Well, he had Sam and Alpha but he didn’t have a true mate. There wasn’t some starry-eyed alpha drooling over him. Dean thought the whole thing was bullshit.

Why couldn’t Alpha be his true mate? Or Sammy even? Why did someone else have to claim to them? He loved them but for some reason, two other omegas thought he wasn’t worthy of their love which was bullshit. Complete utter bullshit. Dean thought he should get an award for all the shit he put up with Alpha especially the first decade. He shuttered when he remembered feeling like a sex toy. Hell, he was a sex toy. Alpha just gave him enough perks to make it feel reasonable.

Dean wasn’t an idiot. He knew how shitty things could be for omegas. He knew despite being paraded around in his underwear, spanked for even looking at Alpha the wrong way, and having to eat vegetables, it really wasn’t that bad. Sammy was fed. They each had a warm bed to sleep in. They got an education and they had control over their reproductive cycles. It could have been a fuck ton worse and Dean knew that. Dean knew any other alpha would not have put up with his shit. Alpha was special to him and honestly, Dean really really enjoyed dominating Alpha. It felt so good to be in control and something told Dean, Alpha liked to let go.

Then there was Sammy. His dorky and slightly dense little brother. He raised Sammy. He protected Sammy from the moment the kid was born. Sammy never really had parents. He had a dead mom, a dad that threatened to kill him and beat him on a regular basis, and a big brother. Dean wished he could turn back time and have a baby Sammy now instead of when he was four. At four, Dean knew he still wet the bed sometimes. Yet, he still had responsibly for Sammy.

Dean took another bite of his pie while he thought about that. He never really thought about how Sam views his family relationships. The pie felt a little dry in his mouth when he wondered if Sammy ever considered Alpha as a father figure to him. Dean remembered enough to know that if Sammy felt that way it would be a reasonable response. Alpha did take an interest in Sammy and he cared for Sammy. He helped Sammy with his homework. He went to every single school event. He taught Sammy right from wrong.

Dean dropped his fork in his pie as he realized something completely fucked up. He couldn’t form the thought in his head before he heard Garth’s squeaky voice, “Are we a little lost in thought today, Dean?”

He glanced down at his pie and sat it on the coffee table then he glanced over to Garth and said, “Sorry, I lost track of time. I was just thinking about some stuff.”

Garth smiled widely and sat down next to him, “Would you like to talk about it?”

Dean squinted a little then he asked, “Why is it everyone I know has a true mate except me? I love my mates dearly, but there are these other omegas trying to lay claim to my mates. And, I don’t know how to explain it, but Sam and Castiel’s relationship is messed up for a variety of reasons. But I wonder how Sam views Castiel, does he think of Castiel as his parent? I mean, if he does, it is pretty screwed up that they have sex.”

Garth put up his hands and Dean stopped talking to take a few deep breaths. Dean concentrated on his breathing as Garth started to talk, “I remember you having similar concerns about Sam the last time you were here. Do you remember what Sam told you?”

Dean took a slow breath and shook his head no.

Garth continued, “He said that he has always viewed you as a parental figure. He did not view Castiel as a parental figure, but rather, his owner. Sam said that he thought Castiel took good care of him because Castiel cared about his property. Sam’s feelings on why Castiel did certain things did not come from a parental drive, but from the perspective of someone caring for their prized possessions.”

Dean let out a slow breath because he remembered that conversation and he disagreed with Sammy. At the time, Dean couldn’t understand Sam’s position, but now he did. Dean whispered, “I remember, but we’re not Alpha’s slaves. Especially, Sammy, he can leave whenever he wants.”

Garth shook his head and leaned forward, “Dean, I am not saying this to hurt you or to hurt Sam, but Sam can’t leave. Technically, Sam could walk away and start over, but the reality is much different. Castiel groomed Sam to be his property. Sam believes himself to be incapable of caring for himself or making choices himself. If you watch your brother, you’ll see him always checking with Castiel for silent approval. Sam will never speak ill of Castiel in public and if Sam was an omega, what do you think his life would be like?”

Dean blinked slowly a couple times. “Gabriel calls Sammy, Little Stockholm. I think Gabriel sees that brainwashing too but I am not going to ask Sammy to leave Alpha. Sammy defers to Alpha and me. Whenever he acts like an alpha in court, it is just that an act. He’s submissive and doesn’t have a dominant bone in his body. It scares me that someone can just walk up to Sam and claim to be something to him. Alpha and I… We love Sammy and we would never hurt him.”

Garth nodded silently, “So you think there is some truth behind this true mate business, at least on Sam’s side?”

Dean wrinkled his nose and admitted, “I do. I never connected the dots for a long time. Jessica has known Sam since college. They never fooled around, but they were close. Jessica flirted but Sam never noticed because Sam is loyal to Alpha. When we had a falling out with Alpha, it was Jessica that Sam asked for advice from.” Dean sighed, “And now I am locked up in here with Jessica. Karma sucks.”

Garth’s eyes became wide, “Wait, Sam’s alleged true mate is here?”

Dean snapped, “Yes, she works here. Sam helped her get a job here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday. 
> 
> I hope everyone is having a great weekend. :)


	27. Chapter 27

Ben sat on the back porch of his house while he watched the sunrise. It was a quiet morning, much like any other day. Uncle Sam had left about thirty minutes ago to go for a jog. The sound of the front door opening and closing every morning was a reassurance to Ben. Things have changed slightly with the babies. On nice days, Sam would take the Gadreel and Gary with him in a stroller. They always slept peacefully during Sam’s runs.

Sometimes, Ben wondered if Sam took him on runs when he was a baby. He vaguely remembered being in the stroller with Sam as a toddler and giggling frantically as Sam jogged. The sharpness of the wind on his fingertips and their speed excited him. It was one of his earliest memories. Ben smiled slightly at the memory. Sometimes, he missed being the center of everyone’s world.

The back door opened and closed quietly which drew Ben’s attention. He glanced up and saw his alpha dad. Ben sighed quietly. He felt his father wrap an arm around him and gently run his fingers through his hair. It felt oddly nice and comforting so much so Ben found himself resting his head on his dad’s shoulder. He felt his eyes start to slip closed as he watched the sunrise. Somehow, the sunrise felt a little more perfect.

Once the sun found its way to the sky, Alpha Dad gently asked, “How are you doing?”

Ben shrugged but didn’t try to pull away. Everything felt right in the world. He muttered, “Okay, I guess.” There was a lot going on in his life and Ben didn’t know where to start.

Alpha Dad knew where to start though, “Are you fitting in and liking the omega school better?”

Ben nodded because he did like school better. It was better than his school back home. He didn’t have to kneel all day. He had two ten-minute breaks to pump breast milk for his little brothers. Nobody teased him and as far as Ben could tell no one got bullied. Ben’s understanding was the school had a zero tolerance for bullying behaviors. They even had a class dedicated to socializing and treating others with respect. Ben found it refreshing.

Alpha Dad scratched his scalp and Ben knew if he was a cat, he would have purred, but he didn’t. Alpha Dad asked, “What is different about this school that you like?”

Ben thought for a moment, “Everything. The school back home was good. The public school here was terrible. However, the omega school is nice. I have a name which is something I didn’t have one back home. Unmated or unclaimed omegas were assigned a number. I was 42. It’s nice to be Ben Novak. I feel like I am a person. It’s terrifying and exciting to be a viewed as something more than property. Sometimes, I worry about if I fail. However, most of the time I worry about my safety. The alphas back home don’t act like the ones here. An alpha back home would never lay a hand on me but here they don’t have that same level of respect.”

Alpha Dad hummed for a moment, “Where we moved from, touching you or Dean was seen as touching someone else’s property. I can assure you that alpha teenagers are just as awful here as they are there. Sammy had trouble with some bullies in high school after he presented.” Alpha Dad chuckled, “I just realized Gadreel is also the name of Sammy’s tutor from high school. The one that was supposed to teach him how to be an alpha.”

Ben didn’t know that. He also didn’t know Sam got bullied in school. It made sense when Ben thought about it. He’d seen enough over the years to know that Sam wasn’t comfortable acting like the stereotypical alpha. Ben didn’t really like the idea of associating his little brother with another alpha in Sam’s life. He muttered, “I doubt Gadreel was named after him.”

Alpha Dad chuckled, “He wasn’t. I picked their names.” Ben didn’t say it but he figured that. It was so typical that Alpha Dad would control everything like that. Then Alpha Dad added, “Gary’s middle name was a surprise though. I told Sam to give any children that were his, Samuel, as their middle name. I didn’t expect him to go against me and pick Dean. I am glad he did though.” Ben was silently grateful, his uncle showed at least some free thought.

Ben decided to change the subject, “So Gabby is coming home today?”

Alpha Dad smiled, “Yes, the triplets will all be home soon. I can’t wait.” Ben couldn’t wait either. It would be nice not to have to drop off milk at the hospital anymore. Alpha Dad cleared his throat and said calmly, “There is a matter I wanted to discuss with you.”

Ben glanced up at his dad and asked, “What?”

Alpha Dad looked away and sighed, “I spoke in depth with Sam last night about you and Samandriel. I think it would be good for both of you to mate. I… I am okay with Samandriel and you living here so long as some conditions are met.”

Ben trembled a little. Then he asked, “What conditions?”

Alpha Dad straightened a little, “You’ll be on birth control for one. I don’t feel that the time is right for the two of you to start a family. You both want to go to college. A baby will make that difficult.”

Ben nodded because that sounded reasonable. However, the idea of going to the omega doctor was always humiliating and stressful. Ben asked a little weakly, “Can Uncle Sammy take me for that?” Back home, Sam always let him cover himself with his jacket since omegas had to strip at the doctor’s office. It made it a little better.

Alpha Dad ruffled his hair, “Of course, we can even wait with that until Omega Dad gets out of the hospital. He can take you now that we live in a free state.” Ben sincerely doubted Omega Dad would take him to the doctor. Omega Dad didn’t even want to talk about heats. Uncle Sammy had the talk with him.

Ben stammered out quickly, “Uncle Sammy is fine.”

Alpha Dad grinned, “Very well then. I also want Samandriel to work full time. Gabriel has an office job at his production company that doesn’t involve being a pornographic performer. I want the two of you to discuss it. Samandriel will pay me a small about of his wage as rent. It will be put into an account for you that only you can access.”

Ben squinted at that. “Why?”

Alpha Dad said simply, “You need to learn to save your money. Wealth is not acquired by living paycheck to paycheck. You need to save.”

Ben still didn’t get it but he decided to move on from that, “Okay what else?”

Alpha Dad gave him a little squeeze, “You’re an omega, Ben. I think it is time you start being handfed like a proper omega.”

Ben’s heart stopped because that meant he would be on a cushion on the floor eating out of Samandriel’s hand. He’d seen Omega Dad and Uncle Sammy do this for years. He knew it would happen one of these days.

Things just got very real for Ben and it terrified him.

++

Dean tapped his leg on the floor as he glanced around Garth’s office. It honestly looked like a clown threw up. He snickered a little when he realized Sam would freak if he saw this place.

One year, Dean dressed up as a clown as a joke. He had ordered the costume and face paints online and had them delivered while Sam was at school and Alpha was at work. The costume was a simple pair of brightly colored panties with a giant clown nose sticking out over his dick. Dean thought it was hilarious. Especially after he added the wig. Unfortunately, Sam got home before Alpha and just seeing a clown wandering around their home may or may not have caused Sam to have a panic attack. It also may or may not have caused Alpha to get rather upset and spank him. He also lost small package delivery privileges too but that was another story.

Dean glanced up at Garth and said simply, “Your office is creepy, man.”

Garth smiled, “I quite like it. I find the colors relaxing.”

Before Garth could say anything more, the door burst open and Jessica stood in the doorway catching her breath. Between deep breaths, she said, “Sorry, I am late.” She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Then she took a seat next to Dean.

Dean had to fight the urge to stab her in the eye.

Garth smiled stupidly again, “Jessica, thank you for joining us. As you know, we’ll be talking about Sam today.”

Jessica put on a fake smile and said, “Sure thing. What do you want to know?”

Dean started tapping his leg a little faster.

Garth asked, “Okay, how did you meet Sam and how would you describe your relationship with him when you first met?”

Jessica let out a slow breath, “I met Sam at meeting for people who presented differently than their siblings. He seemed fragile and I as soon as I scented him I knew. At first, I thought I was crazy because he didn’t react to me any differently than anyone else. I started researching and found that it was because he was mated. Sam mentioned being mated to an alpha and his omega brother. I thought the omega brother was figurative. Siblings rarely get sold off to the same alpha. I thought, at the time, if I could just show him what he was missing then maybe he would leave them and want me. Sam seemed put together and well off.”

Dean sighed dramatically, “You’re joking right? You didn’t even know Sam. Hell, you still don’t know Sam. Castiel paid for Sam’s schooling, apartment, and any other expense he had. Sam got a part-time job because he wanted to have his own spending money, but it took him a year to get Castiel to agree to it and Castiel still knew what Sam spent every penny on. Sam literally called us at least twice a day. He did mention you to Castiel and me, but he never once mentioned any sort of attraction to you. Trust me, he would say something if he found you attractive.”

Garth asked, “Dean, why do you feel Sam would tell either you or Castiel if he was attracted to someone else?”

Dean looked away for a moment because he was unsure if he should go into that. It was important though and maybe it would get Jessica to leave them alone. “Sam is very loyal. He always has been. Alpha… Castiel has always taken care of him and loved him. If Sam felt attracted to someone, he would tell Castiel with the knowledge that Castiel would punish him for those feelings. He would want to be punished so those feelings would go away. Sam never lusted after anyone but I have and Sam remembers that punishment.”

Garth asked calmly, “So if Sam found a movie star attractive, Castiel would find some way to punish Sam for feeling that?”

Dean shook his head and clarified, “No, not for a movie star or a celebrity. If it became obsessive then I could see Alpha punishing, but typically no. Sam would have to personally know whoever he found attractive and want to act on an impulse to be with that person. Sam never did that. He had omegas throwing themselves at him because he’s kind, but Sam never liked them like that. Jessica is no different. He’s found her recent advances upsetting.”

Jessica snapped, “How would you know what Sam feels? He’s brainwashed by your psycho alpha! I don’t understand how both of you can be so loyal to him. He’s creepy as Hell and very controlling.”

Dean rolled his eyes and took a couple calming breaths. He noticed that Garth’s eyes were on him, not Jessica. After a few more breaths Dean felt as though he wouldn’t say something he’d regret. “Castiel isn’t creepy. The alpha owned you and abandoned you to die in a shelter is creepy. Castiel would never do that. Yes, he’s controlling. It’s part of who he is as a person. However, he’s not as controlling as he was when we were children. Did you forget the part where Castiel had to raise us because our father beat us and sold us? We didn’t have parents that loved us and wanted the best for us. We didn’t have parents that would let an omega finish school or go to college like you did. My father sold us as a buy one get one free special. It was purely by the grace of God that it worked out okay.”

Garth cleared his throat, “I think it is clear that home life was very different for both of you.”

Jessica snapped, “You could say that. I mated who I did to be closer to Sam. He was horrible. He beat me and starved me. He never used sex though. One day, I remember my alpha taking me to the grocery store with him. I was completely naked kneeling at his feet. Sam walked through the store with a basket and a list. He never even looked my direction. I remember hoping that he would save me somehow.”

Dean snorted, “Sam never goes to the grocery store without me or alpha. I call bullshit.”

Jessica yelled, “He was there! He bought medicine and soup.”

That was when it clicked for Dean. This had to be the time Sam went to the store because everyone in the house had the flu. Dean vaguely remembered being drenched in sweat on Alpha’s bed with a seven-year-old Ben and Sam’s worn out teddy bear between him and Alpha. Sam cleaned religiously for that week and took care of them without complaint. However, Sam was tired and that was probably why Sam didn’t notice a butt naked Jessica.

Dean admitted his error, “Alpha, Ben, and I had the flu. Sam went to the store for supplies. That was the only time, he went by himself.”

Garth tapped his fingers on his desk and sounded a little strained, “So we’ve established that Sam is a committed mate to Dean and Castiel. He doesn’t have an interest in Jessica despite her claim that he is her true mate. Does that sound right?”

Dean nodded as did Jessica because that pretty much summed it up.

Garth took a deep breath. “Jessica, I think you need to move on from Sam and find a good partner that wants to be with you. That person isn’t Sam.”

Jessica argued, “But the mating bite could be broken. If it is then… Then Sam could scent it too.”

Dean sternly pointed his finger at Jessica, “That is not happening. First of all, Sam wanted to mate with Alpha. He was nervous, but he wanted it. Second of all, Sam also mated with me and we all know how well breaking a mating works for an omega. I will never get to go home to my mates and children.”

Jessica crossed her armed and asked, “Fine, I will stay away from Sam.”

Dean leaned over to her and whispered, “Would you like to know how amazing Sam’s knot is?”

Garth shouted, “Dean!”

After Jessica left their meeting, it was only Dean and Garth. Garth shuffled papers around on his desk and said nervously, “I am sure you heard Gabby is going home from the hospital today.”

Dean nodded because Alpha had told him. They were delaying any sort of welcome home party until everyone was home, including him.

Garth continued, “I think you’re stable enough to go home too. How do you feel about that?”

Dean’s heart stopped. Going home and facing reality sounded terrifying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So anyone following my grad school drama, I have now submitted all of my applications and harassed many former supervisors/instructors for letters of recommendation. 
> 
> Now, we wait. (Impatiently.)


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, sorry.

Sam knew he shouldn’t be happy about the triplets and Ben spending the next two days at the facility with Dean. It had been awhile since either he or Alpha got a decent night’s sleep and Sam felt that their sex lives have been lacking. Alpha usually wanted sex twice a day but lately, it was one a week. Sam understood the need for the change but still, he worried about his alpha.

He also worried about Dean. Dean didn’t want to come home even though Garth said it should be okay. Dean’s medication and behavior seemed stable. However, Dean didn’t trust himself so Ben and the triplets were going to spend a couple days at the facility. Hopefully, that would get Dean’s confidence up so he would come home.

Sam shook his head and decided to focus on the evening with Alpha. He knew opportunities like this were few for him. Sam primped himself in the mirror as Alpha came up behind him. Alpha kissed his cheek and whispered, “You look handsome.” Alpha’s hand trailed over his collar and added, “I wish you could wear this all the time.” Sam wished he could too. It was unfair, in Sam’s opinion that Dean could wear his collar all the time but he couldn’t.

Sam whispered, “Thank you, Alpha.”

Alpha kissed the side of Sam’s face and smiled, “I love you, Sam. Are you ready to go out for dinner? I don’t think we’ve ever had a date before.”

Sam smiled because they never had a date per se before. They had gone out to dinner, but always with Dean. They had gone to movies, but only movies Dean or Ben picked. Sometimes, Dean would stay home if it was a kid’s movie for Ben. Alpha had gone on dates with Dean before. Not often but every few months. The extra attention never bothered Sam because he knew that they both liked different things. Sam and Alpha would cuddle for hours alone on the sofa while Dean hid away in his shop.

However, being in his thirties and a father of four, it made it feel strange that he had never done this before. He wondered if that made him a loser. Alpha chastised lightly, “Please don’t think down about yourself, Sammy. You’re perfect just the way you are.” Alpha gently removed the collar from around Sam’s neck then he placed a gentle kiss on the back of Sam’s neck. He asked, “Are you ready, Little Alpha?”

Sam smiled despite his nerves, “Yes Alpha.”

Being on a date seemed weird. There wasn’t a lot different about being on a date than grabbing a quick lunch with just Alpha or Dean. Granted, nothing about the date was quick. They had a nice private dinner at an expensive restaurant that catered to alternative couples. Alpha was able to handfed him and Sam loved every minute of it. The food was amazing and practically melted in his mouth.

Now, they walked hand in hand along the ocean. Never in Sam’s life had he seen or smelled the ocean at night. Sam found himself looking around in awe at the way the stars reflected in the water. At the way, the waves gently touched in the beach in the night’s sky. It wasn’t like in the movies. There was a crispness to it that a camera could never capture.

It was moments like these when Sam wondered how much life he had missed out on. Sam knelt down in the sand and dug his fingers in as he stared out at the ocean. The grains of sand felt coarse against his skin. Sometimes, life seemed too much of a burden to Sam. The very act of breathing felt heavy on his chest. Sam knew he didn’t belong in this world.

Sometimes, he forgot how small and insignificant he was. Seeing the ocean at night with the stars amplified over the waters, Sam could see that. Sam shook slightly when he felt Alpha wrap his arms around him and whisper, “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

For once, Sam wanted to tell a half-truth because it was beautiful but it was so much more than that. However, Sam knew he didn’t want to get punished for not being completely truthful. Alpha always had a way of knowing, always. Sam found it safer to remain silent and let his feelings remain his own.    

Alpha gently asked, “Are you okay, Sammy? We can go home.”

Home. Somehow, the world seemed less intimidating there. Sam started to say, “Home would be…” That was when Sam heard a pop followed by pain exploding in his chest. He put his hand up to his chest as he heard shouting around him and Alpha holding on tightly to him. When he pulled his hand away it was bright red like a Valentine’s Day card. It was beautiful.

Sam collapsed on the sandy beach. He could hear Alpha yelling something but he couldn’t make out the words. The waves crashing along the shoreline seemed louder now. The stars seemed a little brighter. There were another loud pop and a flash of light. Sam couldn’t hear Alpha anymore. He stared at the ocean with Alpha’s arm limply draped over him.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak but there wasn’t anything he wanted to say. Despite everything, Sam felt loved and cherished.

++

Dean bottle fed a very fussy Gadreel in his room while Ben handled Gary and Charlie, who apparently loved babies, fed Gabby. He had the evening news on to catch up on what was happening the world when a story caught his attention.

_“News on Five just received word of developing story this story this evening. Civil rights attorney Sam Winchester has been shot tonight along with his controversial mate Castiel Novak.”_

The bottle went limp in Dean’s hand as the media showed video of Sam and Alpha laying on the beach in a pool of blood. Sammy’s eyes were open staring at nothingness and unmoving. The bottle dropped to the floor when Dean saw a mask put over Sammy’s face and a medic start pushing on his chest.

Dean felt Charlie take Gadreel from his arms. He looked around the room in shock until he met Ben’s tear-stained eyes. Dean’s heart broke when his son said, “They are my dads.”

Charlie spoke up, “Dean, you’re cleared to leave. You have been. I can get you a ride to whichever hospital Sam and Castiel were taken too. I can watch the triplets. My mate also loves babies, as does Garth. It is really no trouble.”

Dean blinked at her a couple times and choked out, “Please. I need to make sure they are okay.”

++

Gabriel knew he broke about fifteen traffic laws on the way to the hospital. He skidded to the front desk and startled the receptionist. “My baby brother, Castiel Novak, and his mate Sam Winchester were shot and taken here. I have medical power of attorney on both of them. I… I need to know their condition.”

The receptionist nodded and clicked a few buttons, “Please have a seat. Someone will call for you shortly. Could I get your name?”

Gabriel stammered out, “Gabriel Novak.”

Gabriel took a seat by the entrance to the ER. The smell of stale blood and antiseptic flooded his senses. The clock on the wall seemed to mock him. Seconds ticked by in what seemed like minutes. Minutes ticked by in what seemed like hours. This was all his fault. He had suggested to Castiel that it would be good to take Sam out on a date. If he had never made such a foolish suggestion then this would have never happened. Castiel and Sam would have been at home cuddling or having some sort of sex.

He hung his head in shame and waited for his name to be called. It only took five minutes before he was led back to a private waiting room. A doctor entered a moment later, “Mr. Novak, we have much to discuss.”

Gabriel looked up with tear filled eyes and asked, “Please. Please tell me they will be okay.”

The doctor took a seat next to him and said gently, “Things are not looking favorable for Sam. He is still alive. We have two options. We can try a last resort surgery for Sam to close up the wound near his heart and try to stop the bleeding. We have him on a heart machine right now. That is the only thing keeping him alive. Even if we stop the bleeding, his heart may not beat on its own again. The other option is to do nothing.”

Gabriel whispered, “If we do nothing, he will die. Do the surgery.”

The doctor nodded and asked, “One more thing regarding Sam, do you want to donate his organs if he dies? We would have to work quickly to harvest the organs.”

Gabriel felt his body go numb and the waiting room seemed darker somehow. He took in a shaky breath, “I… I don’t know. I need to check with Dean.”

He didn’t even notice Dean arriving but he heard Dean’s gruff voice, “No one is harvesting my baby brother’s organs. If he dies, then we can discuss it but not until then.” Dean’s tone left no room for argument and Gabriel didn’t have it in him to argue over this. Dean added, “What is Castiel’s condition?”

The doctor looked a little dumbfounded, “Who are you?”

Gabriel answered before Dean said something catty, “This is Dean. He is Sam and Castiel’s omega mate. He's been recovering from a birth. Please tell us about Castiel and I fully agree with any course of action Dean decides to take.”

The doctor sighed, “Castiel is better off. His lung collapsed but we drained it and he is breathing now with the help of oxygen. He is talking and we are getting him set up in a room. A nurse can take you to see him soon.”

Dean nodded slowly, “Okay.”

The doctor left the room and Gabriel stared into Dean’s determined green eyes. Gabriel could see at this moment why Castiel had been so captivated by Dean.

++

Castiel stared blankly at the ceiling of his hospital room. He couldn’t look at his hands that were still covered in Sam’s blood. A few tears slipped down his face because in his heart Castiel knew that short of a miracle, it was Sam’s time. The gunman had been tackled by a bystander but that was of little consolation to him.

No amount of time in prison, not even the death penalty could even begin to give back what was stolen from him, Dean, and their children. Castiel felt a few tears leave his eyes and he prayed to God for mercy. He prayed to God to take him instead. He begged God to let him told his mate just one more time. He begged God to let him tell Sam he loved him one more time. He begged God to let him tell Sam not to be afraid and that Heaven would beautiful and someday, he would join Sam there.

Castiel knew deep down in his soul since the first time he saw Sam, that Sam would be with him for eternity. He never knew what that meant, until now. Somehow laying in a hospital bed with his mate dying alone in a sterile operating room made everything a little clearer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stayed up until 1 AM writing this. I apologize for any errors in advance. 1 AM me believes myself to be smarter than Grammarly so sorry about that.


	29. Chapter 29

To sound of the clock ticking gave way to the moments Castiel never wanted to remember. The moments when words were spoken that he never wanted to hear.

_“Mr. Novak, we are sorry.”_

_“Sam put up a brave fight.”_

_“It wasn’t enough.”_

_“Sam died.”_

Died. His mate died. Something, unexplained broke inside of Castiel.

Gabriel wheeled him back to the room that held Sam’s body. The tubes and wires have all been removed. Blood stained Sam’s face and hair from the attack. His eyes were closed and it almost looked like he was sleeping. Castiel could almost convince himself of that. Almost.

His wheelchair stopped by the side of Sam’s bed. He pressed a hand over the center of Sam’s chest as tears filled his eyes. He wished he would feel the rise and fall of Sam’s chest but Sam’s chest didn’t rise. A sob broke from his chest as he lowered his head to Sam’s arm and pleaded, “Sammy, please. Please Little Alpha, it’s too soon. It’s too soon.”

Gabriel gently rubbed Castiel’s back and tried to smooth, “It’s okay, brother. Sam’s in a better place. No one can hurt him anymore.”

Castiel lifted his head with his brother’s words and stared at Sam’s face. He wanted to memorize everything about it. He wanted to remember every strand of hair and the beginnings of wrinkles that were starting to frame Sam’s face. He wanted to remember the few grey hairs that grew on Sam’s head. He wanted to remember everything. He didn’t want to forget. He was so afraid he would forget the details.

He was afraid he would forget the way Sam’s hair looked after a night of sleep or when he stepped out of the shower. He was afraid he would forget the order Sam did his stretches in before his morning run. He was afraid he would forget the sound of Sam’s voice. Castiel ran a shaky hand over Sam’s throat. He knew he would never hear Sam speak again.

He knew he’d failed Sam. He failed at everything with Sam but Sam still loved him with everything he had. Castiel took in a painful and shuddered breath, “I am so sorry, Sammy. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

+++

Ben stood in the doorway of the hospital room. This had to be the worst year of his life. His dad almost died twice. His other dad tried to kill him and this. Ben didn’t know what it felt like to lose a mate but seeing his alpha father cry did something to him. The desperation and utter brokenness in his voice hurt. His omega dad was silent.

Ben had a lot of regrets. He wished he would have appreciated Uncle Sammy more. He wished he would have told Uncle Sammy how he felt. Even though he was nearly an adult, Ben wanted to call Uncle Sammy, Papa, like the twins would. As far as Ben was concerned, Uncle Sammy was one of his fathers and no one could tell him any differently.

He took a step into the room. Ben never saw a body before. He kept expecting Sam to wake up and snuggle with them. Ben reached out a hand and wrapped it around Sam’s ankle. It felt cold to the touch. Ben took a shaky breath as emotion overcame him. He just wanted Sam to come back. He wanted Sam to hold him and tell him it would be okay. It wasn’t fair.

Ben sobbed even as he felt Omega Dad wrap his arms around him. Omega Dad whispered, “Ben, it’s going to be okay.” That made Ben sob harder.

It would never be okay.

++

Sam remembered this field. The sky was clear and Dean had bought fireworks for them to shoot off. It happened just weeks before Dean presented and their father sold them to Castiel. Sam had always considered this one of his last moments of childhood. He also knew it wasn’t real.

A female voice from behind him startled him, “Hello Sam.”

Sam jumped a little and turned to see a pretty black woman standing before him. Her eyes were captivating and although Sam knew he should be afraid, he felt at peace. It almost felt as though he could feel Dean holding his hand even though he knew Dean wasn’t here. Sam shook his head and asked, “Who are you?”

The woman responded, “I am Death, but you can call me Billie.”

This had to be a joke. Death was supposed to be terrifying. This woman didn’t scare him. She intimidated him, but he wasn’t afraid. Sam stammered out, “What do you want?”

The woman circled him slowly, “The same thing you do. You’ve fought your whole life to make sure no one else grew up like you did. This is your last moment of childhood. When you go back to the rundown motel room after this moment with Dean, your father will beat you until you pass out. Dean will stop him from killing you for being defective and never tell you.”

Sam didn’t understand what Billie was getting at. He apologized, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what this has to do with why I am here.”

Billie stepped towards Sam and he instinctively took a step back. “You’re special Sam. Not the only special one by far, but one of the big boss’s favorites. It means you don’t have to die today.”

Sam looked around frantically and tried to control his breathing. The phantom grip on his hand tightened as he choked out, “What? I don’t… I can’t die.”

Billie smiled, “No, you can’t. You still have work to do. Now is not your time.”

Sam lowered his head because he understood. Then Sam remembered Alpha being shot. He begged, “No, Alpha… My alpha… He was shot. Please, take me instead. I… I am not as important as him. Please, I love him.”

Billie frowned at him, “You don’t have to bargain your life for your alpha’s life. Castiel will recover fully from his injuries. I am going to send you back now.”

Sam took slow and steady breaths. He was scared to live again and face everything he had faced in life. Sam looked up at Death and asked meekly, “Can I ask you a couple questions first?” Dean always said curiosity was one of his greatest faults.

Billie sighed, “Fine. The boss said to play nice so I will.”

Sam licked his lips, “Why were Alpha and I shot?”

Billie shook her head, “Some questions are better left unanswered. Crowley worked with Michael Novak to plot an assassination on both you and Castiel. Crowley wanted Kevin back.” The woman paused and looked rather contemplative, “You had to die so he could claim to Kevin. Michael hates what you’ve done with alpha and omega rights, but that isn’t the only reason. Castiel and you mated someone Michael feels should have been his.”

It clicked for Sam at that moment, “Dean and Michael are true mates.”

Billie laughed, “No, Michael wishes they were but no.” There was something absolutely terrifying about Death laughing. “You really are dense sometimes.”

Sam perhaps stupidly asked, “Then who?”

Billie circled him again, “The boss created Dean with two true mates. Dean’s true mate walked right into a motel room where he was being sold. It took a cupid’s arrow to get him to wander to that part of town. It was by God’s design that Dean’s other mate was sold to the same alpha.”

Part of Sam wanted to cry in relief. He was meant to be with Alpha and Dean. The other part of him wondered why Amelia and Jessica claimed what they did. It seemed like an insult to Dean for them to even lay any sort of claim to them. Sam asked the only important question, “Does that mean Alpha is my true mate too?”

Billie smiled, “It does. Why do you think he wouldn’t part with you when you presented as an alpha? It’s time, Sam.” Billie stepped forward and touched Sam on the forehead.

The next thing Sam saw was the blinding white lights of a hospital. It hurt to breathe and he couldn’t speak. He looked around the room. Dean stood to his left with a tight grip on his hand. Ben leaned up against Dean with tears streaming down his face. Alpha held his right hand loosely from where he sat in a wheelchair. Gabriel stood behind him with a hand on Alpha’s shoulder.

That was when Sam realized a couple things. No machines were beeping. The room was eerily silent. He hadn’t been in this much pain since childhood after his father beat him. Sam managed to whisper, “Alpha?”

Alpha looked up surprised, “Sammy? Oh God, you’re… alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I'm not a complete asshole.


	30. Chapter 30

The triplets were cute when Sam, Castiel, or Ben were around. Without any of them around, the triplets were the spawn of Satan. Gabriel considered doing an exorcism on them later if he could ever get the screaming to stop. It sounded like dying banshees. He had no idea how daycare workers didn’t want to jump off a cliff at the end of the day.

Gabriel cuddled Gabby (his favorite) close while Samandriel tried in vain to calm Gadreel and Garth, the crazy therapist from Dean’s treatment center, tried to entertain Gary with a sock puppet. Gary’s screams seemed to be encouraging the other two. Gabriel just wanted Ben to get here. Ben would know what to do.

Gabriel snapped at Garth, “The puppet is scaring him.”

Garth glanced up and defended, “Everybody loves Mr. Fizzles.”

Gabriel doubted that very much. It was confirmed a moment later when Samandriel asked over the screaming, “The same Mr. Fizzles that Dean tried to put in his pants?”

Garth held Mr. Fizzles close to his chest and lamented, “Mr. Fizzles has never been the same.” Garth honestly looked a little sad and solidified in Gabriel’s mind that Garth was insane. He made a mental note to talk to Castiel about getting Dean a different therapist later.

Gabriel muttered, “Whatever, it is terrifying. It looks like someone murdered a Muppet.”  He reached over and took the terrifying sock puppet and tossed it across the room. Then he scooped up Gary and cooed, “Hey, you’re supposed to be a big bad alpha. Calm down and we can hunt for sock puppets together.” Gary abruptly stopped crying once Gabriel had him in his arms. Gabriel stared down at his nephew. Gabriel sighed, “Did you just want to be close to your two favorite Gabriel’s?”

Gary smiled and that was all the answer Gabriel needed. Gary was a little shit just like his omega dad and Castiel. After Gary stopped screaming, Gadreel and Gabby also calmed down. Gabby even had the decency to fall asleep. Gadreel didn’t have that decency and neither did Gary. Poor Samandriel looked like he was on the verge of passing out from gently rocking Gadreel in his arms while he paced around the room. The pacing and rocking were a vain attempt on Samandriel’s part, in Gabriel’s not so humble opinion, to get the demon spawn to go to sleep.

Little did Samandriel know, but demons don’t sleep. They may look like they are sleeping but they weren’t. No, the demon spawn would wait until you had to pee, eat, or sleep then it would awaken at full strength. Gabriel decided against telling Samandriel his demon spawn theory. If he ever wanted great-nephews and great-nieces then he would have to keep that to himself.

Samandriel sighed and asked tiredly, “When are Sam and Castiel expected to be released from the hospital?”

Gabriel shrugged because he didn’t know. Garth piped up from the other side of the room where he cuddled Mr. Fizzles. “Castiel should be cleared to go home in a couple days. They took the drain tube out of the side of his chest yesterday. They are monitoring him to make sure his breathing is okay and verifying no more fluid are coming in. Sam… Sam hasn’t been conscious for more than a few minutes at a time. He’s breathing on his own, but it is labored. His body is trying.”

Samandriel shook his head, “I don’t understand why someone would want to hurt them. Dean told me that the shooter won’t tell them anything, but the shooter had multiple warrants for murder. He’s a hired assassin. That is absolutely crazy.”

Gabriel nodded slowly because it was crazy, but Sam had a lot of enemies. He didn’t know how to explain to a teenager that even though Sam fought every day to make the world a better place that there were still people in the world who would hate him for it. Gabriel didn’t know if Sam even had the capability to hate someone. Yet, it seemed other people had no problem hating Sam.

It didn’t escape Gabriel’s grasp that Castiel could have been the target, not Sam. Sam could have been collateral damage. Hell, one time he read a newspaper article about how Castiel was a child molester who emotionally and physically abused Sam. It was written to discredit Sam and Castiel’s relationship, but it didn’t. Sam sued the paper for defamation of character and won easily. Even though Sam won and was awarded a substantial settlement, it didn’t change opinion.

In the end, Gabriel just wanted answers. He wanted to know who was targeting his family and once he knew he wanted to rip off the asshole’s knot.

Just as Gabriel started to fantasize all the ways he would murder whoever hurt his brother, his front door swung open. He really needed to remember to lock his door.

Michael stood in the doorway.

Gabriel growled at Michael as he passed Gary and Gabby to Garth. He prayed to God that Samandriel would have enough sense to take Garth and the triplets to the safe room.

Michael merely rolled his eyes at Gabriel but Gabriel knew better than to back down. Gabriel asked his brother sharply, “What do you want?”

Michael held up his hands to show he meant no harm. “I came because I heard Castiel was shot. I am the head of the family. I came to make sure Castiel’s omega and Castiel’s offspring are taken care of. It is my legal right.”

Gabriel snickered. Then he started laughing, “You’re an idiot, Michael. Dean… His name is Dean. Dean is perfectly fine and lucky for you, you don’t have to worry about Dean should Castiel and Sam die. Oh, that’s right, you probably don’t know that Sam and Castiel both own Dean. If Sam and Castiel both die then Dean and the children will be mine. However, we are in a free state so none of that matters.”

Michael growled, “Don’t be unreasonable. What are you going to do with three omegas?”

Gabriel barked, “They are not dead, you idiot! Why do you want our baby brother dead?” When Gabriel looked into Michael’s eyes in that moment he knew. With every fiber of Gabriel’s being he knew and with every fiber of his being Gabriel didn’t want it to be true. Gabriel deflated a little and whispered, “You… You wanted Castiel dead.” Michael didn’t answer but the look on his face told Gabriel everything he needed to know. Gabriel raged, “He’s our brother. Why? Why, Michael? Tell me why you would hire someone to murder your own brother. You raised him and loved him.”

The color drained from Michael’s face and he admitted, “I wanted Dean. I thought eventually Castiel would tire of Dean, especially with how close Sam and Castiel were. It never happened and Dean’s scent it does something to me. He’s nearing the end of mating age. I… I have to have him, Gabriel. Please understand, I need him. He’s… He’s my true mate.”

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose and snapped, “You know what, I am absolutely fucking sick of his true mate shit. I am calling Frank Devereaux. He’s crazy as fuck, but he can test to see if you and Dean are true mates. While we’re at it, we can test the two women claiming to be Sam and Castiel’s true mates. Hell, we can even check Samandriel and Ben to make sure.”

++

Dean stopped by Gabriel’s house to drop off Ben when he saw about five cop cars in front of Gabriel’s place. He parked and ran up to the door. He had to make sure the triplets were okay. He swore to himself that he would rip off Gabriel’s knot if something happened to the triplets. What he saw was worse.

Michael was being led out in handcuffs and screaming, “Dean is my true mate. I had to kill him. I had to do it.”

Sometimes, Alpha joked that he should keep Dean on a leash to keep him from doing something really stupid. This could be used as an example of why Alpha thought that. Dean clenched his fists and walked over to Michael and punched him as hard as he could across the face. Dean yelled at Michael, “I am not your true mate. I belong to Castiel and Sammy. You mean nothing to me.” Then Dean spat in Michael’s face as he was pulled back by another officer.

Garth came running out of the house with Mr. Fizzles on his hand just as Dean felt a click of handcuffs on his wrists. Garth yelled, “I am Dr. Fitzgerald. I am so sorry. Mr. Winchester is my patient. He has an omega condition. I am supposed to be watching him and I’m sorry. He just wanted to pick up his son from school. I made a mistake and thought it would be okay. Please, let me take him back to the treatment center for evaluation. I think release may have been premature.”

Dean wanted to yell at Garth that he knew exactly what he was doing when he punched Michael, but something about the look Garth gave him caused Dean to pause. Instead, he asked as innocently as he could manage, “I need to talk to Mr. Fizzles.”

Mr. Fizzles answered, “I am here for you, Dean.”

The handcuff clicked as it was removed from his wrist. The officer said calmly, “Mr. Fizzles helped my cousin out a lot. You’re free to go Mr. Winchester.”

Dean could not believe that worked.

++

Castiel stared at the hospital bed next to his. Sam slept in the bed, but his rest was far from peaceful. Pain creased Sam’s face and Sam trembled as he slept. Castiel felt helpless. All he could do was hold Sam’s hand and pray.

Castiel felt responsible for what happened to Sam. Gabriel told him that Michael planned this to get to Dean. It made Castiel furious and it made him want to apologize to Sam. Castiel never considered the lengths Michael would go to receive what he wanted. He never even knew Michael wanted Dean. It was foolish on his part.

Castiel allowed Gabriel to take blood samples from him and Sam to have it tested. Honestly, at this point, Castiel just wanted answers. Mostly, he wanted to know if God truly did give him, Sam, and Dean crazy true mates. Sam deserved better than Jessica. He deserved better than Amelia and Dean definitely deserved better than Michael. Michael would have broken Dean and taken away everything that made Dean beautiful. Michael would have taken Dean’s soul and crushed it into ash. Dean deserved so much better than that. Castiel sniffled a little as he thought about his mates. He loved them so much. He was so proud of Dean for punching and spitting on Michael. Castiel knew he’d have to reward Dean later.  

Castiel heard a faint, “Alpha?”

Castiel sat up and squeezed Sam’s hand. He whispered, “I’m here, Sammy. You’re okay.”

Sam turned his head to look at him. The oxygen mask that covered part of Sam’s face shifted with the movement. Castiel reached out and put it back in position with his other hand. The movement hurt his side, but he would do anything for Sam. He couldn’t lose Sam again. Sam opened his mouth to say something more, but nothing came out.

Castiel knew it had to be painful for Sam to talk. Sam had a wound from the top of his ribcage to the bottom of the ribcage. As it was explained to Castiel, they cracked Sam’s ribs open to get to his heart. Every breath would be painful for Sammy. Castiel picked up Sam’s teddy bear and pressed it to Sam’s chest. The nurse told him that if Sam held a pillow or stuffed animal to his chest, it might help with the pain.

Sam slowly moved his arm around the bear and looked up at him. Again, Sam said, “Alpha.” Castiel wished he knew what Sam was trying to tell him. Whenever Sam woke up, he either said Alpha or Dean but never anything more.

Castiel squeezed Sam’s hand again, “I’m here, Sammy. Your alpha is here and I love you very much. You are so strong for Dean and me. Please stay with me, Sammy.” Even as the words left Castiel’s mouth, he could see that Sam had started slipping into a slumber again.

Castiel prayed to God for strength.


	31. Chapter 31

Ben tapped his fingers on Samandriel’s chest as they laid in bed together. They were both fully clothed and not doing anything sexual. Uncle Gabriel made them leave the door open to make sure ‘no funny business’ went on. Honestly, Ben didn’t understand what the big deal was with them messing around. They intended on mating. It wasn’t like they were a fling or something like that.

Samandriel gave him a gentle squeeze, “You’re thinking too hard.”

Ben huffed out a breath, “Sorry, it’s just I don’t like the way they keep us apart.”

Samandriel chuckled, “They are protecting your virtue. It’s not a bad thing. Besides, I want our first time to be special. I’m not sure how that will look, but I want it to be special for both of us. I don’t want it to be a Friday afternoon. We will have lots of Friday afternoons to mess around.”

Ben supposed Samandriel was right. He didn’t like it because he had urges. Ben glanced up at Samandriel and asked, “Uncle Gabriel said Frank should be here soon with the results to see if we are true mates. What if we were wrong?”

Samandriel remained silent for a moment. Ben wondered what Samandriel was thinking. He wondered if Samandriel wanted to let him down easy or if it was something else. Eventually, Samandriel kissed him on the top of the head and firmly said, “It won’t matter. I love the person that you are. Your scent is a nice bonus but it’s not the reason why I love you.”

Something warmed inside Ben’s heart. He pecked Samandriel on the lips, “I love you too.” He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with Samandriel.

A loud knock on the front door and the sound of Uncle Gabriel talking to someone stirred both of them from the bed. Ben wandered his way into the living room and saw a middle-aged beta with crazy eyes. The man made Ben a little uneasy and he found himself stepping behind Samandriel. Samandriel glanced at him and gave a reassuring smile.

Uncle Gabriel grinned at both of them, “Ben… Samandriel… This is Frank. He has the results to settle this true mate crap once and for all.” Uncle Gabe turned back to Frank and said, “Hit me with it.”

Frank sat down on the sofa and pulled out a tin foil hat which he put on his head. Then Frank pulled out more hats and held them out. “Here you need to put these on. If the aliens find out these results they could take you and do anal probes. The omega might like that, but as for the rest of that we should avoid that.”

Samandriel growled at Frank and it was the first time, Ben had ever heard Samandriel growl. He found it rather sexy. He liked the idea of Samandriel being protective even though Alpha Dad did a much better job of being protective. Samandriel grit out, “No one, whether from this planet or not, is touching Ben without his permission.”

Frank rolled his eyes, “Oh big bad alpha got his panties in a twist. Don’t worry. I’ve never heard of an alpha liking anal so you should wear this. Aliens are nothing to mess with.”

Ben opened his mouth to tell Frank that he knew alphas that did that and he heard sounds of that happening for a good portion of his life, but he stopped himself. That wasn’t Frank’s business or anyone else’s business. Reluctantly, Samandriel put on a tin foil hat and Samandriel positioned one on Ben’s head. Ben was about ninety percent sure it was so they could get on with this.

Once everyone was properly protected from aliens, Frank handed Gabriel an envelope. “This has the results for Castiel, Sam, and Dean. You said Castiel wanted to see them first.”

Gabriel nodded, “He did. He wanted to make sure it wouldn’t upset Sam or Dean.”

Frank shook his head and pulled out another folder, “This one is Samandriel and Ben’s.” Ben swiped the folder from Frank to read the results. Well, he tried to read the results but it wasn’t in English. Frank supplied, “It is written in code. You have to hold it over a black light to see it in English. Since you don’t seem like the prepared type, I will tell you the obvious. The two of you are true mates. It’s not terribly surprising with your bloodlines.”

Ben leaned over and gave Samandriel a sloppy kiss which Samandriel happily returned.

++

Gabriel knew Frank was a crazy bastard but at least they had the results now. He ran his fingers over the papers which held answers for his baby brother. He asked Frank, “How can more than one person think they are someone’s, true mate? How does that work?”

Frank sighed, “It’s not cut and dry. Compatible mates and true mates are on a scale. Most true mates don’t even realize it. They just love their mate and that is the end of it. Compatible mates sometimes do this dance and when one or the other is mated, it gets messy. Even messier when one is already mated to their true mate. It can mess with their head and rational thinking. I think aliens implanted something in people to make them act like that. Aliens want to undermine our breeding process and break our mating bonds to enslave us.”

Gabriel clarified, “So aliens are making people believe they are true mates with the wrong person?”

Frank nodded, “Yes, I think so. The other theory I found online is even crazier.”

Gabriel had to ask, “What is that theory?”

Frank adjusted his hat and whispered, “God. God created parallel worlds and in a parallel world, Jack and Jill could be true mates, but in our world, Jack and John are true mates. Some of the other worlds bled through to this one and you have this situation. Ask yourself, do you really think there is a God? Just think about all the terrible things going on in the world at this moment and tell me there is a God? Ninety-seven percent of rapists never set foot inside a prison. What about the serial killers that torture their victims for days before finally killing them? What purpose does that serve? Does God watch?”

Gabriel swallowed hard. He’s always believed in God and prayed daily. He always considered the things Frank spoke of to be the devil’s work. The devil corrupted those people and brought out something rotten that already lived inside of them. Gabriel wasn’t sure what the devil’s motive was in all of this, perhaps it was just to rub in God’s face that he was right. Humans are murderous and imperfect. Perhaps God did nothing because it was too late to do anything or maybe God had a special place for the tortured. Gabriel didn’t know. He didn’t have the answer to Frank’s questions. Gabriel responded carefully, “I am sure God has his reasons.”

Frank sighed and stood up, “I think Epicurus summed it up best. _“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?””_ Frank paused, “Keep the hats. You never know when the aliens will attack. Better chance of an alien attack then God creating parallel worlds.”

With that Frank exited the house without another word. Gabriel turned and glanced at a wide-eyed Ben and Samandriel. They looked a little shell-shocked. Samandriel licked his lips and said calmly, “I don’t think he is mentally stable.”

Gabriel laughed because that was probably true.

++

Castiel sat on a chair next to Sam’s hospital bed. Technically, he was discharged three days ago. However, he never left. The only difference was now he didn’t get poked and prodded in the middle of the night. He slept in shifts rotating with Dean. The empty bed in the room was pushed up against the side of Sam’s bed so they could comfort him better.

All they could do was comfort him. The doctors wanted to do a brain scan to check for damage from oxygen loss. Castiel had refused out of fear. He had to believe Sam would be okay. It was probably selfish of him but he wanted to hold on to the notion that he would have Sam back. Castiel prayed to God every day to save his mate. He asked God every day to keep his mates and children safe. Castiel had faith that God had his reasons for this, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

Castiel ran his fingers over the envelope Gabriel gave him earlier. Sam and Dean were both sleeping. Quietly, Castiel opened the envelope and pulled out the papers. He clicked on the blacklight Gabriel gave him so he could read it. He decided to forego the recommended tin foil hat.

He read the first page, _“Amelia Milton is not Castiel Novak’s true mate.”_ Castiel breathed a sigh of relief and skipped over the justification for that decision. Until he got to the end of the page, _“Ms. Milton’s blood shows that she is likely a true mate to another member of the Novak family.”_ Castiel pitied whoever that was.

Castiel flipped to the second page, _“Dean Winchester is not Michael Novak’s true mate.”_ Like Amelia’s test, the bottom of the page advised that Dean’s true mate was likely a member of the Novak family. Castiel took a deep breath and continued. The third page read, _“Jessica Moore is not Sam Winchester’s true mate.”_

Castiel lowered his head and took a couple deep breaths before he turned to the last page. He teared up as he read the words. _“Test results confirm a rare triad. Castiel Novak, Sam Winchester, and Dean Winchester are true mates.”_

Castiel felt tears sting his eyes. Sam and Dean would always be his. He turned off the backlight and slipped the papers back in the envelope. When he looked up, Sam’s eyes were open and staring at him. Castiel wiped his eyes and said softly, “Hi Sammy, how are you doing?”

Sam blinked at him a couple times but seemed a little more alert. He watched Sam curl an arm around his bear and take a shaky breath. Castiel reached out and ran a hand through Sam’s hair. Sam’s eyes flickered closed and for a moment Castiel worried that Sam would go back to sleep. Sam whispered as he clutched his bear, “Alpha, I saw Death.”

Castiel paused his petting and spoke carefully, “You’re alive, Little Alpha. When did you think you saw Death?” Castiel didn’t even know if Death was an actual thing. He didn’t know if Sam thought he saw a Grim Reaper or something else. This was the most Sam had spoken since the shooting.

Sam looked at him with confusion. “Alpha, I died.” Castiel looked at Sam in shock. They had not told Sam he died. Sam continued, “I met Death… I don’t remember her name. She said I… She said I… I don’t remember. Death told me something important. Something I have to tell you.”

Castiel could see Sam getting frustrated and he tried to sooth. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe and alive. They caught the shooter. Dean and I are both here. We love you so much, Sammy.”

Sam glanced up at him and whispered, “You’re my alpha and Dean is my omega.”

Castiel smiled a little with the knowledge that Sam had no idea how much they were meant to be. He leaned down and kissed Sam’s mating bite. “That we are, Little Alpha.”

Sam took a couple shaky breaths and Castiel was surprised both by how much Sam was talking and the fact Sam seemed coherent. Sam’s eyes searched the room for something before settling. Sam whispered, “Alpha, I hurt. Was I bad?”

Sam’s eyes slipped closed and Castiel sniffled a little as he gave Sam’s hand a squeeze. He tried to fight back tears but failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments I've been getting lately. I appreciate it. I tried to go through and reply to everyone after I almost killed off Sam but I suck at doing that. If I missed you, I'm sorry. 
> 
> At risk of sounding like an attention seeking cheeseball, the comments are actually helping me keep my muse. 
> 
> Anyways, Happy Monday.


	32. Chapter 32

Kevin spun around in his office chair at work absently. He knew his mom hated the idea of him traveling to visit Sam, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. His alpha guardian was in the hospital. Granted, Sam never acted like a guardian but it was still Sam and Dean called him freaking out. Sam had significant gaps in his memory.

Gaps in memory were understandably concerning. It was also the focus of his research. Kevin developed a way to edit the human genome to correct and repair brain damage. He had a way to repair Sam’s memory and even take away Sam’s panic attacks. Kevin knew his discovery was huge, even if it was in the trial phase. If everything was successful, his discovery would mean major advancements in medicine.

If successful and more importantly, he could save his alpha guardian. The last thing Kevin wanted or needed in his life was for something to happen to Sam. Any alpha could kidnap and try to claim him without Sam’s protection. Kevin doubted Castiel would sign guardianship paperwork for him and honestly, he didn’t care for Castiel. He thought Castiel was a domineering asshole. He hated the way Castiel treated Sam and Dean. It was just the way Castiel looked at them like they were beneath him. Not to mention, the way he controlled every aspect of their lives, especially Sam.

Dean tended to be okay with getting punished for doing whatever it was he wanted. Kevin knew for a fact that Dean bullied Sam into writing up and signing the guardianship paperwork for him. He also knew that Dean got punished for it. Dean sounded rather proud of the spanking he received for it and Kevin never knew why Sam never recanted on being his guardian. Kevin didn’t know if Castiel punished Sam, as well. Sam never spoke of such things. As Kevin recalled Sam always wanted to be good for Castiel.

Kevin stopped spinning in his office chair when his mother entered his office. She looked pissed with her arms crossed and a fiery look in her eyes, “Kevin, this is a bad idea. You should stay here.”

Kevin rested his head in his hands, “I know, but it’s Sam. He saved me from having to go back to Crowley. My research could save him or at least give him a sense of normalcy.”

His mother shook her head, “Or you could forever change him. What if the problems as you call them with his brain are what makes Sam who he is?”

Kevin had thought about that. He, honestly, was not that far along with his research to know if taking away Sam’s panic attacks would change his personality. Every alpha Kevin had met with a panic disorder like Sam had the same submissive disposition. Kevin didn’t know if that was a product of nature or nurture. All the alphas aside from Sam, Kevin studied were released from state homes. Many had suffered years of physical and mental abuse. They were tortured until they submitted, which honestly, wasn’t all that different from a story than Sam’s. The difference was Sam’s story was wrapped in sugar.

In the end, Kevin said simply, “I developed two options that I will discuss with them. One should repair the brain damage. Sam has some dark spots on the memory section of his brain. It should repair the connections over the course of a few months. The other will do that and take away the panic attacks.”

His mother snapped, “You should let God decide, Kevin.”

Kevin didn’t want to tell his mother but he had never found evidence of God during his research.

++

The flight and the taxi drive to the hospital were surprisingly pleasant. Perhaps it was the first-class omega only ticket he paid for that made the trip better on the flight. There was nothing worse than being sandwiched between two bite-happy alphas on a flight, no matter the duration. Kevin sighed as he walked up to the front desk of the hospital. He cleared his throat and said clearly, “Hello, I am Dr. Kevin Tran. I am here to visit Samuel Winchester. Could you tell me what room he is in?”

The beta at the front desk clicked her gum, “I am sorry, Sir. I do not have a patient under that name.”

Kevin smiled and pulled out his guardianship paperwork and the access code Dean gave him, “My apologies for not being clear. Sam is my alpha guardian.”

The beta looked over the paperwork for a few moments then she said, “Room 456 on the fourth floor.”

Kevin smiled and said a simple, “Thank you,” as he walked away.

++

Castiel held a piece of banana to Sam’s lips and waited as patiently as he could. Getting Sam to eat was something of a struggle. A sick or hurt Sam never wanted to eat. It wasn’t like this was anything new. It was annoying and Castiel couldn’t remember the last time he had a decent night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation was not helping this situation. He sighed he knew he should ask Gabriel to come here and watch Sam for a few hours while he went home and showered.

Dean piped up from the other side of the room, “Alpha, I can feed him. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? We’ll be here when you get back and I promise Sammy will finish off that banana.” There was something about Dean’s tone that made Castiel question Dean’s words but he was just too tired right now to place what it meant. He was also too tired to fight Dean on it.

Castiel put down the banana and ran a hand through Sam’s hair. “Perhaps you’re right, Dean.” He leaned down and gave Sam a kiss on the forehead and whispered, “Sammy, will you be okay with your brother for a few hours?”

Sam blinked slowly at him a couple times. The confusion was evident in his voice, “Alpha?”

Castiel smiled, “Yes, Sammy. I am your alpha.”

Sam licked his lips and glanced at Dean for a moment then focused on Castiel. He reached up a hand and squeezed Castiel’s arm. Sam’s grip was loose but Castiel welcomed the movement from his little alpha. However, Sam’s next words shattered Castiel’s heart, “Dean’s not here.”

Castiel pointed towards Dean in the corner of the room, “Dean is right there.” Sometimes, Sam would recognize Dean and other times he wouldn’t. 

Sam squinted at him and shook his head, “No Alpha. That isn’t Dean. Why… I don’t know where I am. Alpha, I’m scared.” Sam started to hyperventilate.

Castiel held Sam loosely, “It’s okay, Sammy. Just breathe for me.” It took some time but Sam did eventually calm down.  Castiel gently carded his fingers through Sam’s hair as Sam’s eyes drifted closed.

Castiel didn’t even realize Kevin was in the room until he cleared his throat and said calmly, “Hello Sam, Dean, and Castiel.” It was typical for Kevin to put his name last.

Castiel didn’t rise to the bait. Instead he said politely, “It is nice of you to come visit Sam. I assume Dean told you he was here.”

Kevin smiled, “He did. I know we have our differences but I can help Sam. I specialize in brain injuries and neurological disorders. Dean sent me a copy of the brain scan.” Castiel never wanted to get a brain scan because he didn’t want to see the damage. He didn’t want to see the little spots that meant his little alpha was lost forever. Even though Sam lived, Castiel still found himself mourning what he’d lost.

Castiel glared at Dean for a solid minute before he turned back to Kevin. “Okay, tell me why he doesn’t remember Dean.” Castiel couldn’t reconcile with Sam forgetting the most important person in his life. He wasn’t a fool. He knew he came in second behind Dean in Sam’s life or at least he did. He wasn’t sure where he stood now.  

Kevin cleared his throat again, “There are dark spots on the memory centers of his brain. I can repair that which should restore most of his memory. Some things, maybe lost forever. Anyways, from what Dean has told me, it’s not that Sam doesn’t remember Dean. Sam doesn’t remember what Dean looks like now and remembers Dean as an earlier version of himself. This is the same reason Sam has had occasion not to remember he’s an alpha.”

Castiel ran his thumb over Sam’s forehead as he watched him sleep. He truly wanted what was best for his little alpha.

++

Crowley threw an empty whiskey bottle across the room. It shattered on the wall. He snapped at his lackey, “How hard is it to kill a defective alpha? The man sleeps with a teddy bear for God’s sake.” Crowley hated Sam Winchester. He wished John Winchester would have put a bullet in Sam’s head instead of trying the traditional beating of a defective alpha to death. A bullet right between the eyes would have spared him a whole world of trouble.

The lackey took a step back, “My apologies, Sir. Castiel Novak is always by his side. You ordered us to make it look like an accident. Dean refused to let the nurse bathe him. Castiel hand-feeds him so we can’t slip anything into his food. Our plant doesn’t have access to drugs. I… I do have news, Sir.”

Crowley grabbed another bottle of whiskey and struggled to open it. He said sharply, “It better be amazing news. Perhaps, news of a certain lawyer’s untimely death.”

The lackey cleared his throat, “Kevin Tran arrived at the hospital today. He started Sam on a treatment plan. Kevin has been coming and going from the hospital on his own. We… We could grab him. He’s been staying at Gabriel Novak’s home.”

Crowley finally got the bottle of whiskey open. He took a slow slip. He said thoughtfully, “Bring me Kevin and create a distraction to get Castiel out of the hospital. I will eliminate Sam myself.”

The lackey glanced around and asked uncertainly, “What kind of a distraction?”

Crowley slammed down his whiskey, “One that would make an alpha leave his injured worthless whore of a mate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got my first letter back from my grad school applications. I, somehow, got accepted. I expected this to be a far more difficult and lengthy process. 
> 
> This prompted me to contemplate life for a solid week. Sorry for not posting.


	33. Chapter 33

Sam slowly managed to come back to his senses… Sort of. He knew he was in the hospital. He knew Alpha was there. Beyond that things got rather confusing. Dean looked older. Alpha looked older too, but Dean looked grown up. That was the other thing, they had children. Sam met each of the children including the two he fathered. He couldn’t describe the feeling of the hurt inside of him when he found out Alpha wasn’t the other father of his children and he didn’t carry them. He’d always wanted to give Alpha children. Apparently, though, he was an alpha and he was the alpha guardian of his doctor. It was all little fuzzy and confusing for Sam. 

He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on Ben. The omega looked like a mix between Alpha and Dean.  The omega stared out the window with Sam’s teddy bear perched on his lap while he idly played with its foot. Ben glanced at him and smiled, “How are you feeling, Uncle Sammy?”

Sam blinked slowly a couple times and held out his hand for his bear. Ben got up and handed it back to him, a little reluctantly. He held the bear to his chest like Alpha told him and breathed deep. He whispered because it hurt less to talk that way. “Okay, I guess. I don’t remember a lot.”

Ben frowned, “It’s okay. Uncle Kevin said it should come back to you. Do you remember me?”

Sam shook his head no. He didn’t really know what else to say to that. He didn’t know if he had a relationship with Ben or what his relationship with Alpha and Dean were like.

Ben kicked his feet out in front of him and played with his hands for a moment. He had a fond tone to his voice, “You were… Well, you still are my favorite parent. You understood me and never judged me. Omega Dad said that when I was a baby, I would scream if he or Alpha Dad tried to hold me, but when you picked me up, I would calm right down.”

Sam didn’t know what to say to that. He asked innocently, “Did I visit often?” He couldn’t imagine Alpha allowing another alpha in his home.

Ben looked away and picked on the handle of his chair, “You… You lived with me.. with us. Alpha Dad… He loves you. I think Omega Dad loves you too, even though he doesn’t say chick flick stuff like that. You’ve always been there for me. Even when Omega Dad got pregnant with the triplets, you were there for me.” Ben let out a humorless laugh, “I was so scared that you would treat me differently once Omega Dad had your children. I thought you wouldn’t love me as much, but I was wrong. You were my biggest advocate.”

Sam was pretty sure he stopped breathing. Alpha didn’t tell him that Dean birthed his children. It made sense now that he thought about it. Why else would Dean have two mating bites? Why else would the twins look so much like him and Dean? There really was no other explanation. Sam felt his grip on the bears tighten as machines started to beep.

Kevin, his doctor, skid into the room and put a hand on his shoulder. His voice was soothing, “Hey big guy, breathe for me.” Sam tried to follow, but it was hard. Kevin coached him through it. Sam took a slow slip of some water, then Kevin said in a friendly tone, “Better?” Sam only nodded in response. Kevin gave his shoulder a squeeze, “Are you okay, Sam?”

Sam glanced up at Kevin then he glanced over at Ben’s worried face. He asked, “When did I mate Dean?”

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck and looked helplessly at Ben. Then Kevin took a deep breath, “You’ve been mated to Dean since I’ve known him. We met when he was pregnant with Ben. Having two mates can mess with an omega’s mind so he was put in a treatment hospital. I was there, as well, because my alpha was abusive and I ran away from him. I was pregnant at the time and I was so scared Crowley would come to take my baby away.”

Sam nodded slowly. It wasn’t uncommon for two omegas to be sexually active together if the alpha wanted that. It made zero sense to Sam for two alphas to be sexually active together though. It wasn’t like Dean was in any sort of position to take control. Sam did remember something with Kevin’s words.

_Alpha paced back and forth across the room as he spoke. “What do you mean you’re Kevin Tran’s guardian? You go away for work for two days and you come back with another omega? We discuss things like this, Sammy.”_

_Sam shrunk back into himself. He placed his left arm over his middle and lowered his head. His voice was small, “No, we wouldn’t have discussed anything. You would have told me what to do and you would have let that alpha take Kevin and his daughter.”_

_Alpha growled, “You have a responsibility to Dean and you are supposed to be loyal to me.”_

_Sam hunched his shoulders a little as his voice became weaker, “I am loyal to you. Becoming Kevin’s guardian has nothing to do with my loyalty towards you. He’s not even going to live in the same state. It is just a legality so he is protected. He lives with his mother.”_

_Alpha grabbed Sam harshly by the arm and shook him. Sam took a couple of deep breaths to try to keep himself calm. The last thing he wanted right now was a panic attack. “And when you decide to knot him?”_

_Sam looked at Alpha with that question. Knotting Kevin seemed disrespectful and wrong. Sam knew in his heart he could never do that to Kevin or any other omega, except Dean. It felt okay to do sexual things with Dean and Alpha. The idea of doing those activities with anyone else made Sam’s stomach curl. He didn’t want that. Alpha and Dean were the only ones that made him feel like his body wasn’t disgusting._

_Alpha abruptly let go of Sam’s arm and apologized, “I’m sorry, Sammy. I don’t know what came over me.”_

Sam blinked at the memory and smiled even though it wasn’t exactly happy. He still remembered something. Sam looked up at Kevin and said, “I remember telling Alpha I am your alpha guardian.”

Kevin quirked an eyebrow as he checked the wound on Sam’s chest, “Oh.”

Sam nodded, “He was angry. I think he thought I cheated on him with you.”

Kevin laughed hard until tears were leaking out of his eyes while Ben just looked confused, “I’ve never wanted an alpha and you never even so much as gave me the once-over, so I think Castiel is safe. Did you want me on the down low?”

Sam wrinkled up his nose, “No, I remember thinking about how I only wanted Alpha and Dean.”

Ben piped up from the other side of the room, “I just vomited in my mouth. Can we change the subject? I don’t want to think about my parents screwing.”

The door to the hospital room swung open and a British voice boomed, “Yes, let us change the subject. Kevin, my sweet omega, it is time to come home.”

++

Dean tapped his foot nervously in the waiting room with the triplets. Their primary care doctor called and wanted them to come in. They wouldn’t say exactly what was going on but Dean was nervous. What if something was wrong with the babies? They were precious. It was like he had three Ben’s at one time. Actually, Ben was a better baby than the three of them but that was beside the point though.

Alpha rested a warm hand on his knee, “It will be okay, Dean.”

Dean rolled his eyes. Alpha didn’t even want to come. He wanted to send Gabriel to this and stay with Sammy. Dean was certain Sam would be fine for a couple hours while they sorted this out.

Alpha’s phone started ringing and Dean snapped, “It is supposed to be on silent.”

Alpha didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he answered the phone worriedly, “Ben? Is everything okay? Ben…BEN…”

Dean swiped the phone from Alpha and heard what sounded like a struggle. Ben was yelling, “Help, please help!” Dean could feel his heart beating in his chest. Someone was trying to hurt his little bug.

Another man was heard in the background, “Why can’t you just die?”

Dean let the phone slip from his hand. He didn’t know what to do. Right now, someone was trying to murder his oldest son and probably his little brother and there was nothing he could do to either save them or stop them.

++

Gabriel stepped back in the room with a forty-four-ounce soda and a handful of candy only to drop everything in the doorway. Kevin was fighting with a crazed alpha while Sam was out of his hospital bed doing his best to get the crazed alpha off of Kevin. A gun was discarded on the floor by the door and Ben was screaming.

Gabriel stared for a moment Sam was trying to help. He wasn’t cowering. Granted, he was in his pajama pants and a hospital gown but still. Sam wasn’t cowering. Gabriel gawked for a couple more moments before Ben jolted him out of his haze, “Uncle Gabriel help!”

Right, he had to do something alpha like. Gabriel glanced behind and wondered where security was. He shrugged because this was the burden of his pain in the ass little brother buying two people. Gabriel slowly entered the room and picked up the gun. He had held a gun a few times before. He didn’t like the feel of it in his hands. He didn’t like the power this weapon held.

Gabriel held the gun loosely in his hand and looked at the scene in front of him. Kevin was collapsed on against the wall with a head wound. The crazed alpha had straddled Sam and was beating him in the chest. Any fight that Sam had in him was lost in the middle of a panic attack and probably an extreme amount of pain. Gabriel took a step towards the crazed alpha and leveled the gun at his head. Gabriel didn’t care at this moment if they locked him up for life for this. He was done with people hurting his family.

Gabriel pulled the trigger. A loud shot rang out in the room. It looked like slow motion to him as the bullet entered the crazed alpha’s skull. The blood splattered lightly across the room, but it was nothing like in the movies. The crazed alpha slummed on Sam’s body.

Shakily, Gabriel dropped the gun to the ground. He had never killed a man before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Crowley fans.


	34. Chapter 34

Sam sat on the sofa at home while boxes were stacked around him. They were moving back to the home he remembered. Sam was excited to be someplace familiar. Kevin had said that moving back may help jog some memories for him. Sam hoped he was right. More importantly, it sounded like living in a free state caused them nothing but hardship.

Sam rubbed his arms as he thought about the gaps in his memory. He could remember everything clearly until about fourteen then everything got a little fuzzy. After Ben showed him a photo album, Sam did remember certain events and things pertaining to Ben’s life. Sam was pretty sure his nephew looked relieved to see that he remembered him, even if it was how Sam had to make baby food for Ben. Ben wouldn’t eat the premade stuff from the grocery store or baby food Dean made. Somehow, Ben knew the difference.

A gentle hand brushed through Sam’s hair and he looked up to see Alpha. He smiled at him as he adjusted his bear on his lap. Alpha had told him that hugging while he breathed may help the pain and he wasn’t required to carry the bear around anymore, however, things were confusing for Sam. The confusion went beyond the bear and mating his brother.

One, Alpha asked his and Dean’s opinions on things which Sam didn’t have a strong memory of prior. He did have some flashes of memory but it was never on important matters. Alpha seemed to value and want their input on the important things in life. It was weird for Sam. He didn’t remember getting to pick when he trimmed his fingernails much less important things like moving or even what to eat.

Two, Dean talked back to Alpha on more than one occasion and Alpha didn’t do anything. There weren’t any marks on Dean and Dean wasn’t ushered into Alpha’s bedroom for a private talk. Sam knew those private talked was when Alpha hit Dean. That didn’t seem to be happening anymore. Alpha just smiled at Dean like he was smitten with him.

Three, Sam and Dean had the option to wear clothes and even their underwear was made for boys. It was much more comfortable all around. Sam didn’t have to worry about being cold and it felt weird to Sam not to have to seek physical contact with either Alpha or Dean to warm up a little. He especially liked the fluffy socks. Dean got him a few pairs while he was in the hospital because his feet always seemed to be freezing. Sam didn’t expect Alpha to let him wear socks, much less regular clothes when he finally came home. It was a very confusing moment for him. Sam could swear he saw a look of hurt cross Ben’s face when Sam asked Alpha why they weren’t undressing.  

Four, Dean didn’t wear a pink collar. He had a simple black one he wore around his neck most of the time. Sam hadn’t gained the courage to ask where his collar was or if he even had one. He was pretty sure he had a collar he wore at home, but he couldn’t remember what it looked like. He could remember pieces of memory when Alpha tugged on it. None the less, Sam didn’t know what happened to change everything.

However, every time, he looked at Ben, Sam was fairly certain Ben was the reason why Alpha changed. Ben seemed a lot like Dean before Alpha bought them. Ben’s antics amused him but at the same time, it made Sam miss the Dean he remembered. Ben had Dean’s eyes and somehow that made the pain of loss Sam felt worse. He knew he didn’t lose his brother, it just felt like it.

Sam was pulled from his musings when Alpha kissed him on the forehead and said kindly, “Jessica is here to say goodbye. The movers should be here soon then we will be getting on the road.”

Sam glanced over at a blonde-haired omega. He had no idea who this woman was or why she felt the need to say bye to him. She never visited him in the hospital. Sam stood up carefully and let his bear fall to the sofa. He smiled at her and said kindly, “Hi Jessica, my apologies but I don’t remember you. My memory isn’t all there.”

Jessica stepped forward and Sam got a better sniff of her scent. It smelled like burnt cookies. She didn’t smell right like Dean and Alpha. Sam shook his head. It was impolite to judge or make assumptions about someone based on scent. Jessica took hold of Sam’s hand and Sam did everything in his power not to pull away while his eyes searched the room for Alpha.

Jessica gave Sam’s hand a gentle squeeze that caused Sam to focus his gaze on her. She sounded upset when she spoke, “Sam. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I… I thought we were true mates but it turns out that isn’t the case. I know you can’t remember me but you’ve shown me more kindness and respect than any other Alpha. You saved me and protected me. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Sam pulled his hand away from her as he remembered something. They met in college and she became angry when she met Dean. Without really thinking Sam said, “I never loved you. Alpha taught me to treat everyone with respect. I’m sorry if you misinterpreted that as something more. I don’t remember much about my life, but I know I wouldn’t save someone without Alpha’s permission.”

Jessica let a couple tears fall down her face as she whispered brokenly, “You can’t really mean that, Sam. You’re your own person. You were so happy in college when you were free of him. Then you just went back to the person that abused you. God, why can’t you see it? You’re actually worse without your memory.”

Sam frowned because Jessica’s words did not make sense. Luckily, Sam didn’t have to reply. Dean cut in, “I think that is enough emotional and stressful conversation for Sammy for one day. Sam was actually rather stressed about college and he called Alpha and me every single night. I even stayed with him for a term before he decided to come home to finish his degree. You were pissed off about that and I see you’ve never gotten over it. For the record, when Sam bought you so you wouldn’t be put down, he did so with Alpha’s permission and being in the same room as you made him so uncomfortable he would hide in Alpha’s bedroom.”

Dean ushered Jessica out the door and slammed it for good measure. Sam picked up his bear and held it to his chest as he took a deep breath. “I don’t understand what just happened.”

Dean chuckled, “Every omega on the planet likes you, Sammy. You don’t look at omegas like they are lesser and you are kind. Everybody wants to jump your knot. Unfortunately, for them, I am the only one that gets to do that.”

Ben yelled from across the house, “I do not what to hear about the gross stuff Omega Dad and Papa do together.”

Dean grinned devilishly and spoke loudly, “Oh so it is okay to talk about Alpha Dad and Omega Dad then. Huh… There was this one time…”

Before Dean could finish Alpha cut in, “Dean, you will not have sexualized conversations with Ben.” Dean pouted but obeyed.

++

Claire watched from a tree as the movers loaded everything into a truck. Then she watched the family divide themselves into two cars. Castiel, Samandriel, Gabriel, Gadreel, and Gary were loaded into one car while Sam, Dean, Ben, and Gabby were loaded in the other.

Claire watched them drive off into the sunset while she was left alone with nothing. Eventually, Claire got up and walked home to her group home. She kicked the gravel on the path up to her home. Life had not turned out the way she had hoped.

Michael Novak was behind bars for conspiring to kill Castiel Novak and Sam Winchester. His promises to free her mother or hope of any fortune was now gone. The Novak fortune had gone to Gabriel Novak after Michael’s guilty plea. Claire was left with nothing and not even a cent to her name. Unlike her cousin Samandriel, no one offered to help her. No one gave a damn about her.

Claire walked into the group home and pulled her mail out of her box. She had a small package and a letter. Claire opened the package first. Inside the box was a small box of ashes with her mother’s name on it. Claire took a shuttered breath and held the box to her chest. She cried until there was nothing left to cry. Her mother, her protector throughout her life was not supposed to go out this way. Claire hoped it wasn’t painful. She hoped Heaven was as beautiful as all the stories her mother told about it. After a life of so much pain, Claire thought she deserved Heaven.

Claire wiped her face and opened up the letter.

_Ms. Claire Novak,_

_This letter is to inform you of a trust fund set up in your name by Gabriel Novak. The total amount of the trust fund is $10,000,000. The terms for accessing that money are below._

_You must be enrolled full-time in a university or college in a degree program of your choice with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The trust fund will pay for all tuition, fees, and expenses related to college, as well as, a $5,000 monthly stipend for living expenses._

_After completion of a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, university enrollment will no longer be required. A monthly stipend of $10,000 will be allotted until you reach the age of 35._

_At age 35, you, Claire Novak, will have full access to your trust fund on the condition that you do not have a criminal record and have completed college. If you fail to do that, the remaining monies in the trust fund will be donated in full to the Omega Rights Collation._

_Please contact my law office if you have any questions._

_Balthazar Novak_

++

Kevin dropped a pizza on the middle of a table at his friend Chuck’s house. Chuck was a writer that had a tendency not to sleep. Sharply Kevin said, “Pizza then sleep. What are you working on?”

Chuck rubbed his eyes and smiled tiredly, “The greatest story. How is your cure going?”

Kevin opened the box of pizza and grabbed a slice. “I have sixty test subjects and the thirty who were given the treatment are showing a slow improvement in mental health. I think I might have this one. This could save a lot of people.”

Chuck gave him a knowing look which seemed odd to Kevin. Chuck had always seemed a little otherworldly for an omega. Castiel was the one that saved Chuck from a group of drunk Alphas one night. The alphas had Chuck cornered in the parking garage at his work. Kevin didn’t know exactly what Castiel did or said but Kevin gained a new respect for the uptight alpha after that.

Castiel rented the apartment next to where Kevin lived with his mother and gave it to Chuck. Kevin never asked if Castiel was Chuck’s alpha guardian or not. It didn’t seem like his business, but for some reason, the act humanized Castiel to Kevin. More importantly, Kevin gained the best neighbor in the world, even if he had to be reminded to sleep every now and then.

Chuck snagged a slice of pizza and said in awe, “Pepperoni, ham, bacon, and pineapple… This is God’s favorite pizza.”

Kevin laughed at his friend’s declarations as he relaxed into his chair. He knew great things were about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, stress has been killing my muse. 
> 
> Financial aid has been a nightmare and I am trying to figure out what to do about that. I hate dealing with the financial aid office but I am sure it will work out somehow... I hope, if not, it looks like I am taking a tax plenty for pulling money from my retirement accounts. 
> 
> My workplace is restructuring. When they told me this I thought my job was getting outsourced to India again. I was already packing my box in my head and wondering how long I can stretch out unemployment if I am enrolled in school. I did not expect a promotion without a pay increase. I hate my fucking job and I am already dreading Monday. My workload more than doubled with this restructure. FML.


	35. Chapter 35

Sam hated being sick or whatever he was. After they got back home, the house was empty and the first thing that was moved in and set up was Alpha’s bed. Sam got banished to Alpha’s bed with the triplets while everyone else helped the movers haul in stuff. Sam was pretty sure he could help despite it hurting to breathe.

Still, Sam didn’t want to disobey Alpha so he glanced at the three babies playing peacefully in a playpen before he laid back on the bed. He thought the babies and Ben were perfect and he loved them. It was just he didn’t feel worthy enough to be a father. He thought of that as a sacred position that he would never be good enough to attain.

On the inside, Sam still felt like a fourteen-year-old boy unsure of his place in the world. This experience told Sam that the world was much scarier than he imagined. Sam trailed his fingers down the healing scar down the middle of his chest. The world was so much scarier than his father and Alpha. It did make Sam wonder though. He wondered why someone would want to kill him. He wondered why this Crowley wanted him dead and he wondered why Michael would aim for murdering his own brother. Sam couldn’t even imagine hitting Dean, much less killing him.

Sam sat up on the bed and grabbed his laptop. He clicked a few buttons that seemed like second nature to him though he didn’t remember learning how to use a computer. Computers were different than what he remembered and after Dean looked up porn one time, Alpha never let them have unsupervised access. Sam shook his head at the thought of his brother.

He opened up a search window on the laptop and typed in “Sam Winchester.” It seemed like a good place to start. After a moment, the results were returned. The first thing to pop up was a website with his name on it. Sam clicked on it.

_“Samuel Winchester is a civil rights attorney specializing in Omega rights and the rights of Alpha’s with disabilities.”_

Alphas with disabilities. Sam wondered what that meant. He read into himself a little more on various websites, not just his own.

_“Samuel ‘Sam’ Winchester successfully argued for the closing of state institutions for defective alphas.”_

_“A major victory today for Omega Rights! Civil rights attorney Sam Winchester led the petition to stop the sale of omega children.”_

_“Balthazar Angelus took the lead on the Supreme Court case to ban the sale of any omega after Sam Winchester was shot.”_  

_“Sam Winchester is ALIVE! Earlier unconfirmed reports stated Samuel ‘Sam’ Winchester sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. New unconfirmed reports tell us, Sam Winchester is alive but in critical condition. His long-term prognosis is not known. His controversial mate, Castiel Novak, was also shot but is expected to make a full recovery.”_

_“Sam Winchester is an enemy to all Alphas.”_

_“John Winchester, the man that sold his alpha son, has died. Samuel Winchester declined to comment on his father’s passing.”_

_“Why Sam Winchester should be in a state hospital for unfit alphas.”_

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin when the bedroom door creaked open. A well-dressed alpha stood in the doorway and said with a British accent. “You look like shit. Please tell me you’re feeling better. Cas the ass said you’d be sleeping but I never listen to him.”

Sam squinted at the man and mumbled, “Who… Who are you?”

The man sighed dramatically and walked into the room. He stopped to stare at the babies for a moment before he declared, “Oh, you can make handsome babies. I thought you and Dean would have some three-legged blue elf with all the incest going on. Anyways, you’re doing worse than I hoped. I’m Balthazar… Your partner. I took over a Supreme Court case that we are royally fucked on if you can’t get it back together. No one is better at arguing this stuff than you.”

Sam nodded and bit his lip, he admitted, “I don’t remember much past fourteen.”

The alpha paused at that and looked around the room carefully. He closed the door softly before he walked over to Sam. He crouched down so he was at eye-level and said carefully, “Sam, are you okay being here?”

Sam pulled back from Balthazar and felt a headache coming on. He hunched his shoulders as a nosebleed started. Balthazar seemed to manifest a tissue out of nowhere. Sam closed his eyes and let the memories hit him.

_Sam buried his head in his pillow. It was too early to get up but he felt something small crawling on him. It was probably that damn robot Dean bought Ben but it was really for Dean. Sam groaned in his pillow as whatever it was draped itself over his back and a little head rested on his shoulder. Little puffs of breath tickled the back of Sam’s neck and the back of his neck started to get wet. That was when Sam’s sleep muddled brain pieced everything together._

_It wasn’t a robot. It was Ben. Sam shifted enough to see Ben’s sweet little face. He was crying and trying to soothe himself with Sam’s teddy bear and his thumb. Carefully Sam shifted to cuddle Ben to his chest and made sure Ben still had the teddy in his arms. He wiped away Ben’s tears as he pulled the thumb out of Ben’s mouth and asked, “What’s wrong Little Bug?”_

_Ben sniffled, “Uncla Sammy, can we run away?”_  

_Sam ran a hand through Ben’s hair, “Why do you want to run away? Alpha Dad and Omega Dad would be sad if you left.”_

_Ben shook his little head no, “No… No… No, they be happy. Happy without Ben. Ben only need Uncla Sammy. Uncla Sammy love Ben.”_

_Sam took a deep breath. Surely, Ben didn’t think that Dean and Castiel didn’t love him. Sam asked quietly, “Ben, what makes you say that Alpha Dad and Omega Dad would be happy without you?”_

_Ben scrunched up his face and gave the teddy a hard squeeze. “Busy… No time for Ben. Uncla Sammy always have time for Ben.”_

_Sam kissed the top of the two-year-old’s head. He confirmed, “I will always have time for you and love you. Alpha Dad and Omega Dad love you too. They have just been busy lately.” Sam knew a two-year-old wouldn’t understand the merger Castiel had to deal with or Dean’s obsession with getting rid of that last little bit of baby fat that took him away from Ben for hours at a time._

_Ben nodded seriously, “Uncla Sammy take me on next trip? So we run away!”_

_Sam sighed. His next trip was just a planning meeting with Balthazar in New York and Balthazar had a soft spot for Ben. Sam relented, “You can come with if Alpha Dad says it’s okay and you will talk to him on the phone every night before bed for stories. Deal?”_

_Ben smiled, “Deal! But Ben sleep here.”_

_++_

_Sam stared at his textbook while Dean sipped on a beer at some bar near his apartment. He didn’t want any part of this but Alpha gave Dean permission to go to the bar only if he went with. So here he was placating his big brother. Bars really weren’t his thing. The smell of stale beer, sweat, and perfume was not an appealing mix. The loud music and bizarre behavior of the patrons made Sam uneasy._

_Dean grinned widely at him and Sam wondered briefly how much Dean had drunk. Dean slurred, “Sammy, have you ever dreamed about picking someone up at a bar?”_

_No, Sam never dreamed about sex. Sometimes, even the idea of sex terrified him. He preferred for Alpha to tell him what to do. Sam may not dream about it or seek it out, but it felt good and Alpha knew how to make him feel good. Sam shook his head at his brother, “No Dean.”_

_Dean pouted and took another swig of his beer. He slurred, “I have his wet dream. Let me tell ya, it’s hot. Alpha comes strolling in a bar and I am trying to hustle some poor schmuck of his money at the pool tables. Alpha drags me away after giving me a swat right at the crack of my ass. It gets me slicking. Then he takes me back to the men’s room and knots me right there nice and hard.”_

_Sam stared at Dean a little slack-jawed. He didn’t know what to say to that or how to process that. He didn’t know if he should tell Alpha about Dean’s dreams or if he should do nothing. Sam closed his book and said carefully, “Dean, I think you’ve had enough for tonight and we should go home.”_

_Dean stomped his foot and pouted, “But Sammy, I want to get laid.”_

_Some random alpha from across the bar jeered, “I can help that buff omega. I like breaking the big ones.”_

_Sam growled threateningly at the alpha and grabbed Dean by his arm as he threw down money for the tab. “The omega has a name and is my mate.”_

_The random alpha challenged, “Oh, so you’re going to tell him what to do? Sore ego much?”_

_Sam growled again as he pulled Dean towards the door. He could not get into a fight. Alpha would punish him and Dean would likely never get to go out again. Not to mention the panic attack. Sam spit out, “My mate is intoxicated and therefore cannot consent to sex. I hardly have a sore ego. If anything, my ego wants to protect my omega from unwanted sexual advances because I view him as a person of equal value to me.”_

_The other alpha got pulled away by a beta as Sam slipped out of the bar with Dean. Once they were outside with Dean leaning heavily on him for support, Dean slurred, “You’re such a badass, Sammy. You’re going to make a great law thing one day.” Dean giggled, “My brother with the law thing and nice knot. Mmmm… Will you knot me tonight?”_

_Sam shook his head as they walked down the sidewalk. He said carefully to Dean, “You’re drunk, Dean. You’re going to bed. We can call Alpha when you’re sober and ask for permission.”_

_Dean chuckled, “Phone sex… We can give him phone sex in exchange for me getting your knot. My law thing alpha always has my back. We… We gonna win this case with Alpha! I am gonna get your knot!”_

++

Castiel cradled Sam against his chest while he convulsed in his arms. He felt helpless to protect Sam or his family. Balthazar’s pacing wasn’t helping either. Castiel really hated the alpha, but he was good at his job. Almost as good as Sam.

Baltazar snapped his fingers excitedly, “That is it. I need to borrow Sam.”

Castiel growled in warning but Balthazar only rolled his eyes.

He teased, “It’s okay Papa Bear. I only need him for a day to show this is why omegas should be free. This whole clusterfuck happened because Crowley wanted Kevin against his will and Michael wanted to breed with Dean. Omegas should have the right to pick their mate.”

With Balthazar’s speech, Sam stopped convulsing and whispered, “The sale of adult omegas by their families leads children to be trained in sexual acts while not learning basic skills such as reading and writing. I have personally seen the curriculum at omega schools where omega children as young as five are taught how to present for an alpha. The omega children in school are rare, most are taught sex acts by their own family. Sometimes, an alpha relative that has no regard for them. After my brother presented as an omega, my father, stopped viewing my brother and me as people. We were tools for a profit. The laws now would prevent for my father from selling us as he did, but it would not have stopped the years of physical and emotional abuse we would have suffered at his hands.”

Castiel cupped Sam’s head in his hands and whispered, “Sammy?”

Baltazar whispered, “He’s amazing. I could have never made the sexual abuse connection.”

Castiel kissed Sam’s forehead, “The curriculum is a real thing. I sent Ben to the same omega school as Sam and Dean and there was a curriculum for pleasing an alpha. None of them attended such classes but I am sure they heard their classmates gossip. Actually, knowing Dean he probably gave his classmates pointers.”

Sam smiled slightly at Castiel and whispered, “I love you, Alpha.”

Castiel smiled back at Sam, “I love you too, Little Alpha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it has been so long.


	36. Chapter 36

Samandriel found life in Ben’s home calm. It was a strange sort of calm, he never experienced in his own home growing up. There was a routine that took years to iron out. Castiel would leave for work after having breakfast served to him by either Sam or Dean. Castiel took the time to hand feed both of them, which at first was a little off-putting to him. However, he realized over time that it wasn’t about demeaning them. He started hand-feeding Ben too. Aside from Ben purposefully biting his fingers on occasion, Samandriel found the experience relaxing.

Dean worked out in his shop most of the day and Ben went to school. Samandriel found a strange sense of pride when he saw Ben in a white collar marking him as his. Sam took care of the triplets during the day. It seemed to be a role he fell into naturally. Whatever memories, Sam had gained back, wasn’t enough for him to go back to work yet.

Sam was the one person that perplexed him because Samandriel wasn’t an idiot. He knew Sam was on some level terrified of Castiel, Gabriel, and even himself because they were alphas. There were many things that didn’t sit right with Samandriel. He wanted some answers from Sam. He didn’t want the answers to satisfy curiosity or anything like that. Samandriel wanted to be a good alpha to Ben. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes as his great uncle. He never wanted Ben to look at him the way Sam sometimes looked at Castiel.

Samandriel wandered his way into the living room. The triplets could crawl and sit up on their own. The twins were curled up on either side of Sam while the shoved teething toys into their mouths. Gabby sat off by himself, taking in the room. Gabby always had a stand-offish feel about him and he tended to reject unrequested cuddling. Gabby reminded Samandriel of a cat. The twins were little cuddle bugs, especially with other alphas. They seemed to have a bias towards Sam and Castiel though.

Samandriel cleared his throat and asked, “Sam, can I ask you some questions? I want to be a good mate and alpha for Ben. I haven’t had good examples of how to be a good alpha and I thought you could help me with that.”

Sam glanced up at him and smiled. It was a fake smile, but Samandriel didn’t call him on it. He knew Castiel would say something about the fake smile and he knew Castiel would punish Sam. He’d heard the whispers of punishment from behind closed doors. Sam answered politely, “I don’t remember much about being an alpha and I belong to Alpha. Alpha and Dean said I’ve always been treated like an omega at home. I don’t know how much help I will be.”

Samandriel sat down next to Gary. The baby turned to look at him and slapped with a slobber-covered teething ring at him before giggling manically. Sam guided Gary and the slobber covered teething ring away from him which Samandriel appreciated. Samandriel wiped off the slobber the best he could and said, “I know. Ben told me but I guess I want to know what you like about how Castiel treats you and where you think he’s gone wrong.”

Sam glanced around the room like he had been trapped. His breathing increased slightly and Samandriel wondered if he made a mistake. Sam whispered out, “Lying is forbidden so I will tell you the truth.” Sam didn’t offer anything more than that.

Samandriel asked, “What is the worst thing an alpha can do to their omega?”

Sam curled the twins a little closer into him and Gabby even crawled over to Sam to wrap his arms around Sam’s leg. Sam’s voice shook, “An omega should be given a choice. Dean and I never had a choice in mates. Alpha… He’s treated us well and better than most. Alpha granted Ben the choice on whether or not to mate with you. I think that is important. I don’t regret mating with Alpha. I don’t remember much but I remember mating. I wish it was done under different circumstances.

“I felt loved and respected when I mated but my mating to Alpha was neither about love or respect. Our mating was because I was broken and mating was supposed to fix me. I was made to feel as though I had to have sex because there was something wrong with me. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way. I wasn’t broken or weak. I… I understand that now but I didn’t then.

“When the mating didn’t fix me, I feared Alpha would start to beat me. The two options doctors gave him were to either beat me or mate me. Mating me didn’t work so that only left beating. That fear surrounded me. My memory is coming back in pieces but I can always feel that underlying fear that one mistake can cause the beatings to start. I thought I had to be perfect for Alpha so I poured myself into my schoolwork. I never complained and I tried not to ask for anything. I remember telling myself to remain quiet like a good omega.

“I don’t have a memory of Alpha beating me. Dean says he never beat me and I don’t think Dean would lie to me. I guess what I am trying to say is that I wish I was never made to feel inadequate. I remember telling myself when I was scared about some of the physical closeness Alpha wanted that it was better than a beating. If I could ask for anything, it would be for Ben not to ever feel that way. Mating should be Ben’s choice because he loves and respects you, not because he is trying to fix something broken inside of himself.”

Samandriel was pretty sure he would never have that problem with Ben. Against his better judgment, Samandriel asks, “Do you remember mating with Dean?”

Sam shook his head, “No, I don’t. Dean told me about it in great detail. I love Dean so I guess it makes sense that we would mate.” Sam smiled slightly, “We did make two beautiful babies so I can’t complain.”

Samandriel looked at Gary as the baby side-eyed him. Something told Samandriel that Sam was right about everything. He had been feeling pressured into mating with Ben, but after talking with Sam, Samandriel realized it was better to take his time. Even if it didn’t meet with Castiel’s approval. He didn’t want Ben to have the same regrets as Sam.

++

Castiel stared at the clock in his office like it held all the answers in the world. Finally, he asked Gabriel, “What if Sam leaves me?”

Gabriel stopped his sorting of the lollipops from the reception desk to stare at his brother. He nearly laughed when he said, “Sam is not going to leave you. He has a patchy memory but he’s still Sam. He still loves you, unconditionally.”

Castiel huffed out a breath, “I forgot the way he used to look at me. He’d do anything if it pleased me. I could go home right now and ask him to suck me off and he would without question.”

Gabriel unwrapped one of the lollipops and shoved it in his mouth, “No, he won’t. He’s still healing. He’ll tell you no.”

Castiel wasn’t so sure.

++

When Castiel arrived home, Ben was pumping breast milk in his bedroom while Samandriel read a book nearby. Castiel wasn’t sure how he felt about Samandriel seeing Ben’s breasts, but then he reminded himself that it was both natural and it would make him a hypocrite if he said something. Dean would call him out because when Dean was Ben’s age he only wore panties at home and that wasn’t done by Dean’s choice.

He did miss those days when he came home to two eager to please omegas. Well, one eager to please omega. The other one tolerated it. Castiel sighed Sam would have made the perfect omega but the universe wasn’t fair. It robbed Sam of what he should have been. It even robbed Dean of what he should have been. There was no doubt in Castiel’s mind that Dean should have been an alpha. Life just wasn’t fair, it seemed.

Castiel found the triplets sleeping peacefully in their playpen. The twins were curled together holding hands while Gabby scooted himself into the far corner of the playpen to sleep. He took a moment to admire the three newest members of his family and his heart swelled with love for them. Castiel couldn’t for a moment imagine life without them and he was so grateful, Dean decided to have more children. He also hoped Dean didn’t want any more children. Four seemed like plenty.

Castiel wandered his way up to his bedroom, only to find it empty. He was perplexed as to why. Sam and Dean had both been sleeping in his room since coming home. Sam slept in the same bed as him every night, but Dean sometimes had enough of the cuddles and opted to sleep in his own bed. Castiel made his way to Sam and Dean’s room and paused at the door.

He could hear soft whispers coming from behind the door.

“I am not going to have sex with you without Alpha’s permission.” That was definitely Sam’s voice and even if Castiel couldn’t recognize the voices, he knew Sam would say something like that. Dean would worry about the consequences later.

“It’s not sex, Sammy. It’s mutual masturbation.” Castiel shook his head and he was suddenly grateful it wasn’t Dean that lost his memory. He wasn’t sure he could deal with a teenage Dean again.

Sam hissed, “I don’t masturbate, Dean. Wait, do I masturbate now? I don’t Alpha would like that very much.” Castiel smiled a little. As far as he knew, neither boy masturbated but he wouldn’t put it past Dean to masturbate.

Dean groaned dramatically and Castiel took that has his sign. He opened the door with a smile, “Sam… Dean. How are you?”

Dean plopped down on the bed dramatically, “I am just peachy Alpha. We’re having pizza tonight. I can go put it in the oven like a good little omega.”

Castiel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He asked kindly, “Who made the pizza?”

Sam perked up a little, “Samandriel and I did. We made four pizzas with two different types of crust.”

Castiel smiled, “That is wonderful, Sammy. I can’t wait to try to your and Samandriel’s hard work.”

Dean muttered disgruntledly, “I worked hard today too.”

Castiel walked over to Dean and kissed him on the lips. “No one said you didn’t work hard. How is your latest project?”

Dean hummed, “You mean the POS that Samandriel drives and refuses to get rid of even though he is loaded? Dandy. I have to rebuild the engine and I am waiting on a couple of parts. I did get the samples in on some new colors today. I sprayed some scrap pieces with the new colors so hopefully, once it is dry, we can find the perfect color for it.”

Castiel laid down next to Sam on his bed and Sam immediately cuddled into him. He kissed the top of Sam’s head and asked, “So do the two of you sneak off to your room to talk about sex or was that conversation a one off?”

Sam looked downright offended, “No, that was Dean’s doing. I just wanted a nap and our room is closer to where the triplets are.”

Dean grumbled from his bed, “Well, I am horny.”

Castiel gave Sam a gentle hug and said carefully, “Sammy, I know you don’t remember much about your sexual relationship with your brother and I. Sometimes, we all had sex together. Other times, it was just two of us and yes, you and Dean have had sex without me present. If you’re feeling up to it and if you want too, you can join Dean and I. However, that is entirely up to you. There is no pressure either way.” Castiel paused and added while staring Dean down, “And no one will judge you no matter what you decide.”

Sam chewed on his lip for a moment then he said nervously, “I… I don’t feel up to doing anything, but can I watch after my nap? I… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable but I want to see if it might trigger a memory.”

Castiel let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Sam knew his limits and was able to tell him no. That was more than he could ask for and for once Gabriel was right about something.

Dean piped up, “Can I top?” Sometimes, his big omega liked to cause mayhem or migraines. Possibly both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the update. 
> 
> My life is sucking as per usual. I think there is only going to be a couple more chapters of this story before I wrap it up. I want to get this done before I start grad school in less than a month. I am rather terrified of grad school and it is uncharted territory. I just hope I don't fail miserably. 
> 
> Although, if I fail, I will likely have more time to write fan fiction so that could be a win for anyone who enjoys reading my stories.


	37. Chapter 37

Do evil things come in threes? Dean fairly certain that evil things do come in threes. The triplets, for instance, are little fucking demons from Hell. Gabby might look stand-offish in a cute baby way, but Gabby was the mastermind behind the trio. He was the ringleader that barked out babbling orders Dean couldn’t understand. Gadreel and Gary may look like two sweet cuddle bugs but they weren’t.

Nope.

They were evil led by General Gabby.

It started innocently enough. Alpha thought Sammy needed more time to rest and play these dumbass memory games Kevin gave him. Therefore, Dean had to watch the triplets by himself for about three hours every afternoon.

As soon as Sam and usually Samandriel started doing the memory game together, all of the babies took a poo. And Dean wasn’t talking about some little poo, it was like Mount Saint Helen erupted three times over. Evil… Fucking… Triplets. They could have gone ten minutes earlier and it would have been Sam’s problem.

Then they were hungry. They didn’t want their bottle from him. They screamed and yelled for three fucking hours straight. Dean was about ready to find a daycare to drop them off at.

Fortunately, it didn’t come to that. Alpha walked into the room and the screaming immediately stopped. It was like the demon spawn knew the head of household had arrived and to stop fucking around. Alpha somehow managed to pick all three of them up and make it look effortless. He sat down with the triplets and said calmly, “Dean, can you get them a bottle? Sammy said they like their milk cool.”

Dean thought for a moment he saw red. The little shits wouldn’t drink their milk because he warmed it up. He took a calming breath because that was a better option than going off on Alpha. He made up new bottles for the babies and brought them over without a word. Dean took Gabby, the evil one, from Castiel and started to feed him. Castiel took care of Gadreel and Gary.

Alpha piped up after a couple moments, “I think it is good you’re doing this. You haven’t been spending much time with them.”

Dean glanced at Alpha and squinted, “Babies are Sammy’s thing.”

Alpha smiled as he watched the babies eat. “Perhaps, but if Sam was healthy right now, he wouldn’t be home. He would be in DC and it was you that wanted more children. Sam seemed uncertain, but he wanted to please you.”

Dean nodded because he knew Baltazar, the freak, was presenting Sammy’s case for him. That case was Sam’s baby. Secretly, Dean wanted Balthazar and Sammy to lose the case. After living in a free state, he never wanted to put up with that shit again. The stabbings, shootings, and stalkers were a little too much for Dean. That didn’t even get into the bullies Ben dealt with at school. No alpha dared to touch someone else’s omega in a non-free state.

He knew he was probably the biggest hypocrite in the world because he always wanted to be free like Sammy and Alpha. However, once he got a real taste of it, Dean realized why Sam hated it. Sam didn’t have an out like he did. Dean knew he could hide behind Alpha and that would be perfectly acceptable. Sam couldn’t do that in public. Sam had to square his shoulders and face the assholes of the world. Dean thought Sam should get a merit badge for that or at least a blow job.  

Dean bit his lip and whispered, “I am glad he’s not there. If he was there then he would probably win and I don’t want that.”

Alpha sighed, “Well, for your sake and for Ben and Gabby’s sake, I hope Baltazar wins the case.” Alpha paused and added, “I am thinking of retiring and asking Sammy to retire. I want to spend more time with our children and I think Sam has done enough good in the world to earn himself a break. I would suggest that you retire, but I know that won’t happen.”

Dean grumbled, “Why?... How?... Alpha, how are we going to support ourselves if you and Sammy are not working?”

Alpha adjusted his hold on the twins and said calmly, “Dean, none of us had to work for years. My family is quite wealthy and my parents left me a trust. Michael got the most but that has since been given to Gabriel. I haven’t really touched my trust fund since I finished college. I saved and invested my money so I could provide for you and Sam.”

Dean leaned back with the spawn of Satan in his arms. “Yeah, I guess that explains why you never blinked at paying for any of our education or whims.”

Alpha chuckled, “I blinked a few times, Dean.”

++

Sam curled up on his bed for a nap after going through memory flashcards with Samandriel. Dean and Alpha were in Alpha’s bedroom. Sam surmised they were likely having sex and he knew he was only supposed to sleep in Alpha’s room until he got better but he was so tired. Punishment for sleeping sounded better than staying awake. He knew it was odd for him to think like that. Alpha never liked rebellious thoughts. Sam knew Alpha would take care if the thoughts just as soon as he woke up from his nap.

_He felt Alpha kiss him on the top of his head and Sam smiled as Castiel said, “Happy birthday Little Omega, did you sleep well?”_

_Sam hummed and snuggled into his alpha. “Yes, Alpha. Thank you, Alpha.”  He closed his eyes again against his alpha’s chest. He didn’t want to go to school today but he knew Alpha wouldn’t allow him to skip to hang out with Dean. Sam had grown used to not having any choices. Everything down to his haircut and when he trimmed his nails was decided for him. It made him feel special, but it made Dean grumble. Sam giggled a little at the thought of Dean grumbling._

_The giggling faded and he felt older._

_Sam sat on Alpha’s bed as tears streamed down his face and his nails dug into his arms. He cried out, “I don’t want to be an alpha. I can’t be like you.”_

_Alpha sat down next to him and gently pulled his hands away from his arms. Alpha’s gentle fingers started to massage the muscle tension in the joints on his hands. Sam felt his tears turn into sniffles and when he started to calm Alpha told him, “Don’t let stereotypes define who you are. I love you who are, not what a stereotype says you should be.”_

_The world shifted around him to a later time._

_Sam wasn’t really sure why Alpha was here holding him. He liked it and he missed it but it still didn’t fill that ache of rejection he felt inside. It was the ache that told him, he could never be good enough. The ache that told him, he would never fit in. He couldn’t be what Alpha, Dean, his father, or society wanted. There was no place for him in the world. Sam just wanted to make an escape from the world, even if that meant death. Sam thought he wouldn’t be missed anyway._

_Sam felt Alpha gently take his shirt off. He had gotten dressed after Dean hit him before he started painting the room. It left some bruising on his chest and shoulders. Sam didn’t defend himself because he went into a panic. As the panic gripped him, Sam remembered thinking that Dean was right. He was worthless. It wasn’t the first time Dean had hit him. Bruises had been left before, but Alpha never gave him a second look to notice._

_The fact that Alpha didn’t notice told Sam everything he needed to know.  Alpha didn’t care about him, not really. Alpha didn’t care about him the way he cared about Dean. Alpha never could. Sam knew he was nothing more than a pathetic excuse of an alpha. Sam thought his father was right. He should have been killed._

_Sam knew when Alpha found the bruises on his skin. He felt Alpha trace his fingertips over the bruising. Then he heard Alpha whisper, “Who did this to you?”_

_Sam was glad he didn’t have to face Alpha for this. He leaned his head back on Alpha’s shoulder. Sam wanted to remember what that felt like one last time before Alpha never touched him again. Quietly and ashamed Sam said, “Dean did. He’s been hitting me for a while now.”_

_Alpha didn’t pull away in disgust like Sam expected, instead, he felt Alpha kiss him on the top of his head. He heard Alpha murmur into his hair, “It won’t happen again, I promise.” He paused and asked, “Did you panic?” Sam nodded his head yes because there was no point in lying. It wasn’t like he had anything left to lose anyway.  He felt Alpha take a tighter hold of him. He heard Alpha make a pained sound and whisper, “I’m sorry.”_

_Sam wished he knew what Alpha was sorry for._

_“Sam”_

_“Sammy”_

_“Samandriel call…”_

++

Castiel found Sam convulsing on his bed with blood pouring out of his nose. It seemed like the ambulance took years to arrive but it did and it took Sam to the hospital. Castiel held Sam’s hand in the emergency room as they waited for testing to come back. The alpha doctors refused to speak with Kevin because of his omega status. This annoyed Castiel greatly, but he figured he could send any test results to Kevin if need be.

Castiel leaned over Sam and kissed him gently on the lips. He whispered, “I love you.”

Much to his surprise, Sam whispered back, “I love you too, Alpha. What is going on?”

Castiel squeezed Sam’s hand, “We’re at the hospital. I am not sure what happened. We are waiting for the tests to come back. It looked like some sort of seizure.”

Sam opened his eyes and smiled at him. He gave him another kiss and said tiredly, “It would figure that the one time we go on a date together, I have a seizure.”

Castiel opened his mouth and closed it a few times. Carefully he asked, “Sam, what is the last thing you remember?”

Sam squinted at him for a moment before replying, “We were laying in the sand at the beach after our date. I was in pain, but I don’t remember why. You were there so I knew everything would be okay. Why?”

Castiel let out a slow breath. He asked, “What are the names of our children?”

Sam rolled his eyes. If Castiel wasn’t so stressed at the moment he would have corrected Sam’s behavior. Behavior which Sam probably picked up from either Gabriel or Dean. He would have to have a talk with them later. Sam sounded uncertain when he replied, “Ben, Gadreel, Gary, and Gabriel. Is everything okay, Alpha? Did something happen?”

 _Shit._ Castiel glanced around to make sure no one heard Sam call him alpha. He didn’t think anyone did. He placed a hand on each side of Sam’s face and smiled, “Yes Sammy, everything is fine. We’re back home where we used to live. It’s a long story.” Castiel dropped his voice to a whisper, “But please call me Castiel here. Please, Sammy.”

++

Dean sat on his bed as he watched a very stressed out Sammy pack monkey suits. He tried to sound as bored as humanly possible and whiny at the same time when he said, “Sammy, come on. You do not need to go help Baltazar with the case. You’re sick and you got released from the hospital thirty minutes ago. I need my Sammy and your knot.”

Sam was completely distracted, “You can have my knot later. It’s not going anywhere.”

Dean grinned, “Can I have that in writing please?” Maybe if he got it in writing Sam would not talk about getting his junk cut off again.

Sam rolled his eyes, “It will only be two weeks and I will be back.”

Dean grumbled, “Yes, I know it is two weeks. Two weeks that you are leaving me here with Samandriel and Gabriel of all people to protect me the helpless omega.”

Sam shook his head, “More like Samandriel and Gabriel are going to help you with the triplets. Ben has school and finals coming up. Alpha and I will only be a phone call away. I love you, Dean.”

Dean crossed his arms and pouted, “Well, if you would drive, I could come with.”

Sam zipped his suitcase closed, “Dean, we don’t have time to drive halfway across the country with three babies and your music tastes.”

Dean pointed a stern finger at Sam, “It is you and Alpha that are uncultured, not me. The two of you like that Emo crap. You even turned Ben onto it which is unforgivable. The triplets will not be so easily corrupted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one. :)


	38. Chapter 38

“Gabriel.”

“No.”

Dean groaned dramatically and whined, “You don’t even know what I was going to ask.” He crossed his arms across his chest and pouted. Gabriel was such a hard ass alpha. Gabriel sucked balls and Dean much preferred Alpha. At least with Alpha, he could tie him up and go do what he wanted.

Gabriel had the audacity to laugh at his pouting. Now, Dean knew for certain the alpha was a shithead. “You want me to take you in Baby to DC where Sammy and Castiel are. However, there are four children in this home that need their father. Therefore, we are staying here.”

Dean huffed out a breath. That was just a lucky guess on Gabriel’s part. Gabriel couldn’t read his mind or anything. Dean tried to bargain, “Ben can take care of himself and Samandriel is here. Samandriel is an alpha. I am certain Ben and Samandriel can manage the triplets just fine.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and said slowly, “Considering that Alfie, Ben, and myself have been the only ones caring for the triplets while you do whatever it is you do, I don’t think it is fair for you to make a judgment on that. You barely spend any time with them and you’re the one that wanted more children.”

Dean saw red literally. He snapped at Gabriel, “It’s not what I expected!”

Gabriel seemed completely unfazed, “I’m sure. So, tell me, Dean, what did you not expect when you took drugs without telling your alphas to increase your chances of a multiple births? Actually, don’t answer that. I think we both know that you expected Sam to take care of everything like he did with Ben. Is that it? You wanted to dump everything on your brother while you still get to be Omega Dad and he’s the semi-important uncle?”

Dean stood up and started pacing as he pulled at his hair. He yelled, “That is not it! I knew Sam would take care of them. I just didn’t expect them to need breast milk and all this extra care. I didn’t expect Sam to give me two alphas that I have no idea how to prepare for the world. I didn’t expect the two alphas to fawn over the omega. This whole family is inbred and it is fucked up. Ben is going to mate his cousin and everyone is fucking happy about it. I mean really? I get me and Sammy, but that is different.”

Gabriel rubbed his eyes and sounded bored, “The triplets are not flirting with each other, Dean. Kevin checked the true mate bullshit with them and said they are not true mates. However, Gabby is still an omega and instinctually Gadreel and Gary will want to protect him and dote on him. Gabby will be spoiled because he is my namesake and perfect.” Gabriel paused and added, “There is nothing wrong with Ben and Samandriel. They are true mates which means it is what God or whoever wanted. Just because you’re not happy with Sam and Castiel doesn’t mean they won’t be happy.”

Dean yelled, “I am happy with Alpha.”

Gabriel crossed his arms and said slowly, “So you’re not happy with Sam.”

Dean groaned, “Quit twisting my words!”

Gabriel shrugged, “I am not twisting anything, Dean. Castiel has been spending more time with Sam since he got hurt. Castiel was the only person Sam recognized and therefore Sam sought out Castiel over you. Your baby brother that you would lay down your life for looked you in the eye and said he didn’t know who you were. You’d be a lair to say that didn’t hurt.”

Dean yelled, “You don’t know anything about me.”

Gabriel stood up and squared his shoulders, “I don’t know anything about you? Is that a joke? I know everything about you, Dean. I hear all about you from my brother and Sam. Hell, I even hear about you from Ben. I am sure I will continue to hear about you from Gabby, Gadreel, and Gary. Would you like to know what I know about you?”

Dean narrowed his eyes, “Sure Mr. Know It All, tell me.”

Gabriel pointed at Dean and said coolly, “You never wanted to be an omega. You never wanted to mate my brother, but you did want to mate your brother. You fell in love with my brother overtime only because my brother treated your brother well. Growing up you thought you’d be an alpha. You planned to run away with Sam after you presented so your father wouldn’t kill him. You try to be this macho omega because you always knew you’d be an alpha, but you’re not happy acting all macho. So dear sweet Cassie has to knock you down a couple notches so you’re a happy little omega.”

Dean yelled, “Whatever! You’re just a stupid…”

Ben stomped his foot from the doorway and said firmly, “Both of you stop! What are you trying to prove?”

Dean pointed at Gabriel accusingly, “This knot head said I didn’t raise you.”

Ben rolled his eyes, “No, he didn’t. I heard your whole stupid argument. He said Papa took a more active role in my life which is true. Papa is also taking a more active roll in your other three children’s lives. Hell, I am more active in their lives and I am their brother.”

Dean stated slowly, “You mean Uncle Sammy raised you. The triplets are calling him Papa to make it easier.”

Ben crossed his arms the same way Sam did when he was in a mood, “I said Papa because that is what he is to me. Yes, he is my uncle but he is my Papa. He said it is okay for me to call him Papa and Alpha Dad doesn’t have an issue with it.”

Dean was about to yell again when his cell phone rang. He glanced down and saw it was Alpha. Dean muttered, “Son of a bitch.”

As he answered the phone he saw a satisfied look from Gabriel. Dean knew the asshole texted Alpha and that was why he was calling.

++

Sam kneeled in the middle of the motel room as he waited for Alpha to get off the phone with Dean. Anytime, he had court it left him off centered but today was worse. It was the last day of presenting their case to the Supreme Court. Now, it was a matter of waiting. It wasn’t just that though, Sam still didn’t feel well. He hadn’t felt well since before he got shot. He only had his memory back for a week at this point and it felt like everything had been kind of shoved inside his head.

That was the other thing, his body didn’t feel the same to him. Sam couldn’t really define what was different. His weight fluctuated within a few pounds and that was normal. His diet was the same. His breathing was getting better but that was the only thing he could really point to. That and it felt like his dick was getting smaller at the base and he was too embarrassed to say anything about that.

Sam wiped some sweat from his brow and took a deep breath. Everything was looking a little fuzzy. He placed his hands on the ground and said weakly, “Alpha?”

Alpha quickly moved over to him and quickly caught him before he fell over. It felt nice for Alpha to hold him. Alpha’s skin felt cool while he was burning up. Sam felt Alpha trial his fingers over his mating bite and for the first time, it calmed him.

++

Castiel didn’t know what to do. He held Sammy in a hospital bed while they waited for test results. Sam had a high fever, but no one could tell him why. The only thing that seemed to keep Sam from thrashing and his fever from raising higher was being held and touching his mating bite. It was odd considering Sam’s mating bite did absolutely nothing to comfort him for over twenty years.

Finally, Kevin showed up. Castiel prayed that Keven could shed some light on what was happening to Sam. Kevin looked a little pale when he entered the hospital room and even had the courtesy to sound regretful, “I didn’t test the treatment to end Sam’s panic attacks on a species that had secondary genders before I gave it to him.”

Castiel tightened his hold on Sam and said slowly as rage bubbled under the surface, “I told you not to do that treatment. I didn’t want to change who Sam is without his expressed consent. I didn’t want to change him.”

Kevin winced and said quickly, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I thought it was what Sam would want and… Dean agreed with me. He was you were just being stuck up. I’m sorry I should have listened.”

Castiel cuddled Sam closer to him as he took a calming breath. He had to calm down. He didn’t want to upset Sam. Castiel really didn’t want to know but he had to ask, “What is happening to my mate? I swear if he dies, I will put you down myself.”

Kevin took a deep breath, “I inadvertently found a way to change an alpha to an omega. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Castiel couldn’t hear whatever else it was Kevin had to say. It felt like his world just ended. It felt like someone took away pieces of his mate and Castiel wanted nothing more than to have those pieces back. He wanted his Little Alpha back. Even though Castiel held Sam in his arms, he couldn’t help but feel like Sam was stolen from him.

++

Epilogue

Sam won his Supreme Court case and all omegas had the same rights as alphas and betas but that wasn’t what made Sam feel okay. He retired officially after the cast to focus on his family. Also gained some unwanted celebrity by being the first alpha to omega conversion. Kevin’s treatment which was still undergoing testing could change anyone from the secondary designation they were born with to the one they were meant to have. It was groundbreaking or so Sam was told.  

It wasn’t perfect by any means. Even though Sam was an omega now, he couldn’t have children. The treatment didn’t cause him to grow a uterus or anything like that. It changed him just enough to make him an omega. It gave him heats, slick, and most importantly, it made him very happy whenever Alpha touched his mating bite. He did retain some alpha like traits according to Dean. Sam still loved to cuddle with Alpha or the babies for hours on end. The best thing for Sam was he got to breastfeed the babies now instead of Ben having to pump.

Alpha still had trouble with the change at times. It wasn’t that Alpha rejected him or anything. Alpha just held him a little tighter and for a little longer than he did before. Sam didn’t mind and he didn’t mind wearing his collar in public again. He even let some of the old rules fall back into place. He didn’t walk around the house in his underwear but he was usually topless and in a pair of shorts. Alpha liked it and it made it easier for the triplets to eat.

Sam didn’t expect a lot of things when he moved to a new city with Alpha and Dean. He didn’t expect to be blessed with three more beautiful children. He didn’t expect getting shot to turn into one of the greatest things that could have ever happened to him, but it did.

Sure, he doesn’t live in that city anymore, but if he wasn’t for that city Sam knew he’d never be whole.

He had that city to thank for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter about 10 times. I am still not happy with it but grad school starts tomorrow so it is what it is. 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed. I will probably write more short one-shots from this story randomly.


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